Kokorogoroshi hen
by Yuuaku Hikari
Summary: Do not cry because you miss 'her', that 'her' that no longer exists. Do not cry because you love 'her', that 'her' that no longer exists. Do not cry, because 'she' did not want you to cry. Rated M for future material.
1. Hatsukoi: Friend

Try not to grieve.

Even if the world won't forgive you,

I will forgive you.

Try not to grieve.

Even if you won't forgive the world,

I will forgive you.

So please tell me,

How will you ever forgive me?

* * *

_If I had just destroyed it..._

_It's best if it was all torn up, I thought._

_That's what I believed._

_No, what I still believe._

_At this very moment I believe it._

_But...I hardly realize it._

_Because that which I want to believe, is the one thing I can't accept._

_These words keep repeating themselves to me. I know I have heard them before, sometime long ago. In a place that was the same as here, but different. In a voice that was familiar, yet it was a voice I've never heard before. That voice, it sounded so...pathetic. So distant. So..._

_....sad._

_Why are you sad? What have you done? What kind of sin have you committed, that you believe you can not be forgiven for? You don't need to worry; I can forgive you. No matter what, I will forgive you._

_Because I know the feeling._

_I know what it is like to feel like you've committed a terrible sin and that you'll never be forgiven because of it. That sin has tainted your hands and your heart. Nobody could ever wash it away. At least, that's what I thought. I've committed sins that I never would've thought would be forgiven. I've committed sins that have tainted my body and soul and thought would never wash away. I've lived the remainder of my life thinking this, until the very last moment of my life, where I was, finally, forgiven. It lifted such a weight off of my shoulders, and I felt free._

_So I will do the same for you._

_I will forgive your sin, no matter what the sin is. I will open my arms and wait for you to come into them, so I can embrace you. I will show you that kindness which you thought you would never receive. Because I am like you. Because you are like me, a lost little lamb with black wool in a flock of white sheep. Always wandering, hoping, that someone would accept whatever it is that you've done. And then finally, you found that one white sheep that says, "It's okay. I will forgive you for having that black wool. It's okay." And then you can live happily among the flock of white sheep, because you were forgiven._

_So don't grieve over your mistake. I will hold out my hand and wait for you to take it, so that in the next life, you won't be alone. Because I will be with you. Whatever mistake you make, I will be there to forgive you. So, come. Take my hand. Don't hold on to that burden anymore. I want to see your spirits lifted, so that you can smile that bright smile of yours again._

_I have always admired you. I've admired your smile, I've admired your brightness, I've admired the way you can maintain your composure even when things are bleak, I've admired your strength. So, even through all of this.........._

* * *

The early dawn was cool. The light breeze rustled in the leaves of the trees, a bird called in the distance his song, the rising sun began to dye the early morning sky with shades of purples, reds, oranges, and yellows; this was truly paradise. Many people don't get to see mornings like this everyday. It was a shame, really. This was why the people in this small town of Hinamizawa were grateful for their lives. True, it was rural, and it was isolated deep in the mountains, but they couldn't complain; this was the good life, and they enjoyed every minute of it. The children especially enjoyed their lives here. The air was cool, crisp, and clean, much different from the air in the city. A few people even got up earlier than the sun just to watch it rise every morning. One such person was a young girl. Rena Ryuguu. She was born here, but moved once entering elementary school. She returned a year later, due to an....incident. But once she moved back, that cheerful smile that everyone knew and loved also returned.

She was sitting on her bed, her knees curled up against her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs, staring out the window with anticipation. The sky was already starting to change colors, and a faint light came in from over the horizon. She watched, waiting, waiting, until finally the sun came up completely. Upon seeing the bright sun, an even brighter smile formed upon her lips, and she felt triumphant. A moment later, her father walked in.

"I see you're up again, Reina." he chuckled. She turned to look at him over her shoulder, and smiled once again even brighter, and even giggled a little.

"Of course I am, Papa. You know I like to watch the sun rise." she responded. He smiled as well, and looked at his watch. "I think you'd better get ready for school. You have to meet Keiichi this morning, don't you?" At hearing this, she lept off of her bed and onto her feet in a single, graceful movement. Her father left her room so she could get ready for the day. The teenage girl pulled off her pajama shorts and spaghetti strap, quickly replacing them with her school outfit of a uniform skirt and sailor uniform top. She pulled on some socks, grabbed her school bag, and hurried downstairs. Her father was in the dining room, setting down a small bowl filled with rice. The table was covered in breakfast dishes, and the aroma was intoxicating. Despite the seductive attempts of the food, Rena only gobbled down a few pieces of fish and a bowl of rice washed down with some tofu miso soup.

"You might want to slow down there, Reina. What's the hurry?" he laughed. She wiped her mouth with a napkin, before grabbing her bag and heading towards the door. She grabbed her shoes from the shoe-shelf and shoved her feet into them.

"I have to meet Keiichi-kun, remember? There's something important I want to ask him!" she replied, making sure her feet were in the shoes enough to leave. She swung open the front door and stepped outside.

"Something important? Reina, what could--" he was interrupted with a "Bye bye, Papa~" and the door shuttting.

The sky was now a bright baby blue. Birds were chirping, and the cry of cicadas were beginning to fill the air. The girl hurried to to spot where she and this Keiichi guy met every morning so they could walk to school together. But today, she hurried even quicker than usual. She did have something important to tell, and just the thought of it made her full of energy.

It's June, 1983. The town of Hinamizawa. Every year, at the beginning of summer, the town had a special festival called the "Watanagashi", or cotton-drifting. The festival was to celebrate the ending of winter and beginning of spring, and as such, to celebrate the renewal of everybody's spirit. The cotton is pure, and soaks up the bad things inside a person's body, so that the person can live on healthily through the year. Before the actual cotton-drifting, however, there were a bunch of stands with food and games and the like, and everybody had a good time. It really was one of the most important days in the lives of the people of Hinamizawa. Rena's group of friends would naturally go together to the festival, as they did last year. But this year, she wanted to do something different. Upon arriving at the meeting spot, the excitement couldn't keep her still. It couldn't keep her patient. In her impatience and anticipation, she completely skipped the meeting spot and dashed down the road towards his house. The moment she made it to her destination, the front door opened and a boy walked out. Keiichi Maebara. The "new guy" in town.

"Rena? You're certainly here early." he stated, a bit surprised by the change in routine. Rena merely grinned and giggled a little "hehe".

"Well, that's because I wanted to talk to Keiichi-kun about something." she said, all bubbly and happy. He smiled and stepped towards her.

"Alright, but we're going to have to talk on the way to school. We don't want to be late." he reminded her. She nodded in understandment, and the two strolled back down the road, side by side. A light, pink blush covered Rena's face. She looked down, and stammered a little.

"Uhh, K-Keiichi-kun..." she muttered. This caught his attention, and he glanced over at her with a "hmm?".

"Uhm... I was wondering..." she paused, then stepped in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. She looked up at him, her face blushing even more now, staring straight into his eyes with determination.

"I was wondering if you would like to go to the Watanagashi with me!" she blurted out. No turning back now. Poor Keiichi seemed a bit confused.

"I...thought I _was_ going with you. With Mion, Satoko, and Rika-chan, too." he pointed out. She shook her head violently.

"I meant with just me! Just the two of us..." she looked back down, a bit nervous. Keiichi couldn't help but notice how completely shy she appeared.

"...just us..." she murmured, her blush maddening. He glanced a bit to the side, now suddenly a bit nervous himself. Like hers before, his face was colored with a light blush. This was his first time being asked out by a girl, and a rather cute one at that. He didn't think that it was right to turn down someone who was so nice, so cute, so_ loveable_... and, she did take care of him ever since he moved to this town of Hinamizawa. How could he say "no"?

"Of course I will." This answer made her look back up at him, surprised and stunned. She tried to say something, but her words were garbled up from the shock. Amused by this, he laughed and tossled her hair gently with his hand.

The two made their way down the dirt path to their second destination. Rena was giggling along in their conversation, when she suddenly noticed something strange.

"Oh? Mii-chan isn't here waiting for us." she blinked. Their friend, Mion Sonozaki, was usually at that spot by the creak, waiting for the two of them to show up so the three could walk to school together. But, today she wasn't.

"Maybe she's late. You know how Mion is." Keiichi said, bluntness in his voice.

"Hauu, but Mii-chan is never this late. Whenever she is, she's usually running up to us by now..." Rena half-whined, a hint of disappointment in her tone. Keiichi laughed, before tossling her hair once again.

"I don't mind if we end up going the rest of the way by ourselves." he said, making Rena blush. "H-Hauu..."

Judging by the maddening blush on Rena's face, Keiichi was guessing that Rena was thinking of something else besides just walking the rest of the way to school alone. He chuckled a little and grinned at that thought. Ever since they met, he knew Rena was an odd little one. She was a total sucker to romance things, she even said this herself. She sometimes went to the bookstore and looked at all of the romance novels, but never really bought any because she couldn't handle the content inside. What a hopeless romantic. But he only found that trait of hers even more endearing. And, because of that personality of hers, he could tease her.

"Hey, Rena." "Y-Yes, Keiichi-kun...?" "What do you say...we don't go to class today?" "E-Ehh??" "I don't really want to be around anyone else; just you. Your prescence is enough for me." "E-Ehh?!"

Bingo. Hearing him say that made her react frantically. He couldn't help himself. She was so adorable when she got all flustered over the tiniest of things, and he felt such pride whenever he was able to say something to have her make that face.

"I mean it. I just want to be alone with you, Rena. I don't want anyone else to see you, just me." he said, giving her a charming smile. Her face only went ever more red. Success!

"K-K-Keiichi-kun...." she stammered softly. She was blushing so madly, he could've sworn he could cook an egg just from the heat radiating off of her cheeks. He chuckled a bit, before his hand went to her head and patted it.

"Just kidding. I won't do anything to you." he said, which calmed her down a little. "O-Okay...." she said. He blinked. Was that....a disappointed look on her face? She really did want to be alone with him? Awwh, crap. She actually took it seriously? He gulped, suddenly a nervous aura in the air surrounded them.

"W-Well...To compensate, I'll take you out this weekend." he said. Rena snapped out of it, answering hysterically.

"T-This weekend? B-But that's the Watanagashi!" she stammered. He grinned cooly. "I know." She blinked, before smiling shyly.

"S-So...it's a date?" she asked. Keiichi nodded.

"Yes." he said, before grabbing her hand. "...it's a date."

* * *

The two new lovers (haha) had managed to just barely make it to class before the principal rang the bell. Keiichi was hunched over, his hands on his knees, panting heavily and a few drops of sweat on his face. Rena was leaned up against the doorframe, panting in the same manner. They had sprinted the rest of the way to get to school on time. Mion, who was at her desk, drew her attention away from the window and onto the two. She began to laugh.

"There is no way in hell that this is funny, Mion!" Keiichi yelled at her in between pants. Clearly, he was a bit pissed.

"Awwh, what's wrong, Kei-chan? Slept in a bit too late?" she teased. "Like hell I did! We were waiting for you at our spot 'cause we thought you were running late! But you've been here the whole time?!" he responded. She winked and stuck out her tongue at him. He stood up and charged at her.

"Damn you, Miiiooo-" his fury was suddenly interrupted. In his raging fury, he had tripped on his shoelaces. When he inspected them as much as he could, for he was flat on his face, he saw they were tied together.

"Satoko...." he growled.

"Ohohohohohohoho~" came a cheeky, obnoxious laugh from in front of his fallen self. "My, my, Keiichi-san. A bit clumsy this morning, are we?" she mocked. Satoko Houjou. A cheeky little brat that loved to play pranks; especially on Keiichi. He managed to get up enough to see her.

"Satoko, you son of a--" he muttered, before a gentle little hand lightly patted his head. He looked over to see an innocent-looking little girl with an adorable face.

"Owie, owie, fly away, good sir. The pain will surely go away if I do this, good sir?" she asked, looking at him with wide eyes. He melted under those eyes. There was no way he could stay mad after looking at that face.

"Y-Yes, Rika-chan. It doesn't hurt anymore..." he grinned weakly to reassure her. She grinned brightly with a "Nippah~" and giggled. Rika Furude. She was an adorable, innocent little girl. And she was best friends with Satoko. They were like polar opposites. Rena, who had finally managed to catch her breath, retied Keiichi's shoes correctly and helped him up onto his feet.

"Are you okay, Keiichi-kun?" she asked, worry in her voice. Like Rika, he gave her a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, I am. Thanks." he said, tossling her hair with his hand. Instead of blushing, she giggled. Mion noticed this change, however, the others did. Usually Rena went all shy and blushy whenever he did that. But, now she was completely fine with it. Something was up...

* * *

"Alright, what happened while I wasn't there?" Mion asked with suspecion, the three walking home together after school. There were no club activities today because Rika had to practice for the Watanagashi. She was something called the 'Shrine Maiden', and it was her duty to end the festival and begin the actual cotton-drifting using Oyashiro-sama's tools on a futon. At least, that's what Keiichi basically got out of the explanation they gave him when she left.

"What do you mean, Mii-chan? What do you mean?" Rena asked, grinning brightly in her usual, bubbly attitude. Mion then stepped in front of the two of them, stopping them in their tracks.

"I mean this! I leave you two alone for a morning, and suddenly you're all close and touchy!" she accused.

"We're not 'all close and touchy'. Where the hell did you get that idea?" Keiichi asked, unamused. "T-This! You patting Rena's head and Rena not freaking out by it!" she blurted. Keiichi smirked mischieviously. "Oh? You mean like this?" he asked, tossling Rena's hair a bit roughly, her giggling as a result.

"Y-Yes, that! What the hell is going on?!" Mion asked with a shocked expression on her face. She didn't like being left out of the loop. "I really don't feel like telling you." Keiichi said, his mischievious smirk morphing into a sly grin.

"A-and why the hell not?" Mion asked, a bit rattled by his expression.

"Because Rena and I are leaving now. Since we're so 'close and touchy' now, we're going to run off and do things that people who are so 'close and touchy' do." he mocked, grabbing Rena's hand and dashing off down the dirt path.

"Ahh, K-Keiichi-kun! D-Do you really mean that?!" she asked, flushing. "Of course I do! And Mion can't do a damn thing about it!" he sneered.

"Hey, wait a sec!" Mion called after them. She saw a distant Rena look back and wave, hearing a "Bai bai, Mii-chan~". She was so confused. ...what the hell was going on between those two?

After running down the path for a good ten minutes, the two finally slowed down. Keiichi grinned in triumph. "Haha! How you like that, Mion Sonozaki?!" he shouted to the heavens, knowing that only he, Rena, and the noisy summer cicadas could hear. Rena was looking down, a bit flustered. He noticed this out of the corner of his eye, and turned to look at her. "Rena? What's wrong?"

"W-Where you serious about that back there, Keiichi-kun? It wasn't just to m-mock Mii-chan?" she asked in a quiet voice, looking up at him. His body suddenly froze in place. Her beautiful, blue eyes were wide and watery, and her usually pale cheeks were bright red. She gave him a look that was just so cute, so irresistable... He had to look away, unable to handle that kind of look she gave him.

"What do you mean, Rena?" he asked, playing dumb. "I mean, about doing things that couples that are close and touchy do. Did you mean it? Honestly mean it?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"W-Well..." he stammered. Crap, how was he supposed to respond to that? He couldn't lie to her and say 'yes', but he couldn't let her hopes down either...He suddenly felt two small, warm arms wrap around him; two soft, perfectly-sized breasts press against his body and a head against his chest. He looked back to her to see that she was embracing him. It wasn't just his imagination; she was really holding him.

"R-Rena?" he was shocked by her sudden action. It wasn't like her to just come out and hug somebody, especially a guy, of all people. His only response was a tightened grip on his body. He sighed, before his right hand moved up and petted her head, his fingers tangling themselves in her redish-brown hair. It felt really soft, now that he thought about it. He never really noticed how soft it was and how good it felt to run it through his fingers. That was probably because he was always petting her head to tease her and never really pay attention to anything else.

"Keiichi-kun, please don't say things like that in a joking matter. You know I take things seriously, so...unless you really mean it,....please don't joke about it..." she mumured. A strange ping suddenly went through his heart. She thought he was serious? That would explain the look of disappoint from this morning, even after he said he was joking.

"Rena...do you like me?" he decided to take a bold move and ask her that. "Of course I like Keiichi-kun. Just like how Keiichi-kun likes me. We're friends, aren't we?" she replied in a calm manner. Hearing that word...'friends'...it made him think. Did he really like her as just that? A friend? And was Rena being honest when she said that she liked him, just as he liked her? There had to be some sort of misinterpretation in this somewhere; one of the two was misreading the other's thoughts and actions. "Yeah..." he said, his fingers not ceasing to run through her hair.

"....'friends'."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hey, everyone! This is Yuu-chan coming at you with my first ever fanfic on ! This is a fanfic if Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (in case you haven't guessed, lol). Yay for typical-shoujo-confessions! Haha. If you're wondering about the random monologue in italics at the beginning, let me explain:

Everything in italics up to "These words kept repeating...." is from the monologue at the beginning of the original PC Onikakushi-hen. I got a tip from an internet buddy about the English patch and played it (so sad... -mourns-). The rest of that italics is by me. Who is the one saying that? You'll have to wait and see. In case you haven't guessed (deja vu no?), this is going to be a Rena x Keiichi fanfic. But don't worry. It's not all fluff. When I write fanfictions (or, when I _will _write fanfictions), I try to be accurate to the original story. This goes for characters' personalities, traits, the situations going on, etc etc. So, there will be violence. And paranoia. Muahahahaha...

I hope you all enjoy my first fanfic! Please give me your reviews and such! =D

(Oh! And for future references:

Shouraisei-hen = Chapter of Promises

Hatsukoi = First Love

Haishin = Betrayal

Katai = Mistake

Tatari = Curse

Moushiwake = Apology)

Those are chapter-chapter titles and their meanings! =D I say chapter-chapter because there will be a lot of sub-chapters or little parts

Hatsukoi : Friend

Hatsukoi: Confession

Hatsukoi: Connection

Like that. Hope I get enough readers so encourage me to keep going! Sayonara~


	2. Hatsukoi: Confession

_That crying voice meant to persuade myself is so unbearably stupid..._

_And of course, those tears just make my face look even more disheveled._

_After some mechanical reptition, I finally calmed down and it became very quiet._

_All I can hear are those disgustingly noisy higurashi._

_Even so it still seems like I can hear her._

_But there's no I could be hearing her._

_Because she quit speaking long ago._

_The person crying was me alone._

_She wasn't crying at all._

_Even when she was repeating those words before, she showed no expression, no emotion at all._

_If she couldn't shed a single tear for me, then I-_

_Then I can't be expected to shed any tears for them._

_In spite of that it hurts, my eyes have misted over...why?_

_I still haven't torn it up, because I want to believe._

_Who is it that's speaking? This is the second time I've heard that voice, that voice which is weak and distant yet is somehow close to somewhere in my heart. Who are you? What have you done? Who is this 'she' that you say cried no tears for you? Why is she no longer speaking? What haven't you still torn up?_

_You want to still believe because you still hold on to that hope; that hope that you can, one day, hear 'her' voice again. 'Her' voice is that hope, that hope that tells you that it's not too late to be forgiven for your sins. You still hear 'her' because you don't want to let go. That 'her' that no longer exists, how important is 'she' to you?_

_Did 'she' brighten your days on earth, just by being there with you? Did 'she' bring a smile to your face, even when your heart was heavy? Did 'she' open her arms up to you and say that you were forgiven, even when you saw nothing but your own sin? Even when you saw nothing but your own sin, did you hear 'her' calling out to you? Does missing 'her' still bring tears to your eyes?_

_Don't cry. 'She' never shed a tear for you, so that you couldn't cry. 'She' wanted you to know that you are forgiven, so that you can be happy. With 'her'. So, what did you do to make 'her' want to reach out to you with loving hands? Is that what you want again? To be accepted by someone who loves you, as 'she' accepted you? To love someone dearly and that someone love you back, as 'she' loved you? To be held by someone who cares for you with warmth and affection, as 'she' did?_

_Then come. Take my hand. Don't carry that burden anymore. Release it off of your shoulders. Don't carry that burden anymore. It only makes you weaker. As 'she' did once long ago, I will reach out to you with open arms, and I will tell you that you are forgiven. I will wait, as 'she' did, for as long as it takes, my arms never closing. And I will forgive you. Doubt yourself. Doubt me. Doubt 'her'. But do not doubt that you can be forgiven. 'She' wished it. All 'she' wanted was for you to live happily and without a weight on your heart._

_Don't you want 'her' to be happy to know that you have accepted 'her' and her forgiveness? Because even though I don't know 'her', I feel that that is all 'she' wanted for you. So don't cry. Come and take my hand. We will go on to the next life together. I will love you as 'she' did. I will accept you as 'she' did. I will hold you and comfort you as 'she' did. Do not be mistaken; I do not think that 'she' will ever come again. Whoever 'she' is, 'she' still lingers in your heart._

_That is why, even though you hear those disgustingly noisy higurashi, you still hear 'her'._

* * *

The Watanagashi Festival; the day it finally arrived couldn't have come soon enough. Keiichi didn't want to have to wait for his and Rena's date any longer. Ever since she had embraced him a couple of days ago, he'd been having this funny feeling deep in his gut. It kept him up at night and didn't calm down until the morning when he finally saw her again. He began to have this constant need to see her and to be with her; to find some way to make her blush or laugh; to be able to hold her and run his fingers through her hair. It was becoming unbearable, and it left him utterly confused.

"Why...Why do I always have this desire to see her?" He kept asking himself when he was sure nobody else, not even her, was around. He had never really felt this way before, except once, when he went back to the city to go to a relative's funeral. But that was natural, wasn't it? Wasn't it natural to want to see your friends when you're away? But, this was just her. Just Rena. And he always knew he would see her again the next day, so why did he suddenly become so damn impatient?

Could it...be love?

"Keiichi-kun~" a voice cooed for him in his sleep. Keiichi's eyes fluttered open drowsily, finding himself staring up at his bedroom's ceiling. Was that...Rena's voice?

"Keiichi! Get up!" No. It was his mom's. Damn, he was only dreaming. Let's see...what was today? He stayed lying down as he tried to remember what day it was. Damn morning amnesia. His body sudden sprang up and onto its feet as he remembered. "Crap! It's Sunday! The Watanagashi festival!" He scrambled over to his drawers and quickly changed out of his pajamas into his black tanktop, army-green shorts and red vest, shoving his feet into two socks and rushing to the bathroom to get cleaned up: brush his teeth, use the bathroom, wash his face, etc etc. He rushed down the stairs and into the kitchen, scarfing down a quick breakfast and grabbing his wallet. He had to bring some money, just in case.

"Have fun, Keiichi, and take care of yourself!" his mother called as he ran outside with his shoes on.

"Don't worry, Mom! I will!" he called after her before the door slammed shut. _She doesn't need to worry. I'll be fine, because Rena will be there with me... _He hurried over to their usual meeting spot, not wanting to make her wait like he usually did. However, to his surprise, she was nowhere to be found.

"Huh? Where's Rena?" he asked. That urge inside of him grew stronger, his heart a little disappointed and his hopes crushed. She was always here waiting for him. Even if she had to wait for days, she would be waiting for him. So, where was she today? He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even hear the light footsteps from behind him, and he was only snapped out of his thoughts when two hands covered his eyes and the familiar, cheerful voice rang in his ears.

"Surprise, Keiichi-kun~" she cooed happily. Her hands were so warm and so soft. He thought he could feel his heart skip a beat when he heard his name in that beautiful voice of hers. He chuckled a little, before spinning around and grinned a big, toothy grin, her hands falling off of his face and back to her sides. The first thing that caught his eyes was what she was wearing. She had on her white dress with ribbons on her collar and her back, which, now that he thought he knew his feelings, looked so adorable on her; it really did suit her, and being able to see her like that brought an even bigger grin to his face. He was obviously happy, though Rena didn't know why. His hand reached up to tossle her hair as usual, but he stopped mid-way. She had a beret already on her head. It was blocking his hand's pathway to her hair, which displeased him slightly. Sensing his displeasure, she frowned slightly in worry.

"What's wrong, Keiichi-kun?" she asked. Her blue eyes looked at him in concern, hoping she didn't do anything to upset him. He laughed a little at her face, kind of happy that she was worried about him. "Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to pat your head but your hat was in the way." he answered. She blushed a little, before her hands moved up to her head. Her fingers gripped onto her beret, before she brought it down and held it close against her chest.

"Is this better?" she asked, hoping it would cheer him up. He was a bit surprised that she would do that, not that he wasn't glad she did. He chuckled once, his right hand moving and placing itself on the top of her head. "Yeah. Much better." he said, tossling her hair gently, his fingers caught in her hair. "H-Hauu..." she blushed a little more, obviously content with being petted on the head like this. His grin calmed down to a warm smile, so happy that he was with her. Finally, that gut feeling of his could calm down.

Or so he thought.

* * *

"Come on, Rika! Give it your best!" Satoko cheered her friend on. Rika was currently participating in a fishing contest. Well, sort of fishing. She had a small pole with a string and a hook on the end. She would throw it over a board and someone who was on the other side of the board would hook a prize to it. Rika was trying to snag a good prize, while Mion was scoping out the area.

"Damn it...where the heck are those two?" she muttered to herself. Keiichi and Rena were nowhere to be seen, especially not in this crowd. She hadn't seen them since yesterday after school, and now the two of them had ditched their club activities today? Something was definitely up...

"You can do it, Keiichi-kun!" cheered a voice which stood out from everyone else's voice in the crowd. Mion sharply turned her head to the direction of that voice, and was a bit pissed at what she saw. Rena was cheering Keiichi on as he shot cork bullets at a large teddy bear. It came crashing down, and the people surrounding them cheered.

"Yay!! Keiichi-kun did it!!" she cheered, her arms wrapping around him in a congratulatory manner. The manager of the stand brought the teddy bear on steroids out and handed it over the stand to its new owner. Grateful and so full of pride, he thanked the manager with a wide grin before turning to Rena.

"Rena, I think you deserve this more than I do." That was responded with a blush and a surprised "Ehh?". He handed her the teddy bear. "I'm serious. You've been taking such good care of me ever since I moved her. Even when I was a stranger, you never stopped showing me kindness. I know how much you love cute things, so giving this to you is the very least I can do." he said, placing the bear into her arms. "Please accept it." "K-Keiichi-kun..."

"Kei-chan!!!" an angry yell broke through the crowd. The two turned their heads to see a very, very angry Mion rushing through the crowd at them. Although there were a lot of people, Mion was making extreme progress getting to them. She seemed to be upset. Well, yes. Who wouldn't be upset if your two best friends ditched you for eachother?

"Oh, crap! Mion's pissed! Here, come on, Rena!" Keiichi grinned almost evilly. He took this as a challenge; if they get caught then they lose! He grabbed Rena's hand and pulled her through the crowd away from Mion. Mion, witnessing this, quickened her speed. However, she quickly lost them. There were just too many people between her and them.

Damn it....

* * *

Keiichi and Rena laughed as they managed to break away from the crowd and into the woods. Rena was still hugging the bear, never loosening her grip on it. After they were a safe distance, Keiichi let go of her hand. After doing so, he could've sworn that he heard a faint whimper coming from behind him; from her. Did she not want to let go of his hand? He turned to look behind him, and found her nuzzling her face into the bear's head.

"Hauu~...He's so cute~" she cooed softly. That brought a smile to his face, seeing her happy like that. "I'll name him Mr. Bear. And I'll sleep with him every night, because Keiichi-kun gave him to me." she said, more so to herself over anyone else. He stepped towards her, removed her beret from atop her head, and patted her.

"I'm glad you like him." he said, smiling warmly. She hid half of her face in the bear's fluff, trying to conceal her blush. He was about to place the beret back on her head, when she stopped him with her hand grabbing onto his wrist. "Uhm... can you pat my head again, please?" she asked shyly, her eyes looking up at him, pleading. He blushed a little. He had never seen Rena like this, so needy for affection. His hand raised and he patted her head once more, and she closed her eyes, content and with a small smile on her face. She liked it when he pet her head. It put her at such ease, and it made her feel...

....loved.

"Uhm....Keiichi-kun..." she murmured softly. He brought his face closer to hers, so he could hear her better, until they were only about three inches apart. "Yeah?" he asked in a similar tone. Her eyes opened, glancing up at him from an angle like a kitten. "...you've also been kind to me. Even though I was a complete stranger, you were still open about everything, and you tried to show us how nice you are and you did your best to make sure that we felt like we could trust you. So..." she smiled slightly as she paused. "...I want to show you something that I've never shown anyone else before." she finished, taking his hand into hers. He blinked with confusion, the smile leaving his face. Something...she's never shown anyone else before? What could it be?

* * *

"We're almost there, Keiichi-kun." she stated, smiling brightly, pulling Keiichi along with her down a dirt path. Rena was leading him somewhere to show him somthing she's never seen before. This path seemed familiar... she had taken him down here before...

"...you're taking me to the garbage dump?" he asked, a sort of confused tone in his voice. "Uh-huh!" she nodded cheerfully. What could be at the garbage dump? Maybe a buried treasure. Maybe an underground tunnel that led to a new dimension.

Or maybe a dead body.

"Be careful and watch your step, okay, Keiichi-kun?" her voice took him out of his thoughts. "H-Huh?" he asked, before realizing that they were there. Her hand was still entertwined with his. It still felt so warm and soft, like this morning.

"There's still some light out, but it's going to get darker soon. I'll lead the way, okay?" she asked. He nodded, giving her permission to take the lead. She took a huge, cautious first step into the garbage dump that used to be a construction site for dam (which was abandoned about 5 years ago) and onto a large couch that happened to be at the top. She led him down, her grip on his hand tightening to make sure he followed her every step. They climbed over chairs, shelves, just about anything one could imagine being tossed out because of its no-longer existing use. A lot of this stuff seemed to still be in good shape, though. What a waste. Soon they made it almost the bottom. Keiichi looked up and saw where it was Rena was leading him.

There was an old hippy van that laid securely among the piles of garbage. The back of it was sticking out like a sore thumb. As they approached it, Rena let go of his hand, much to his dismay. She lept gracefully down to it until it was within arm's reach, and she opened the back window, before turning back to face him.

"This is my secret hide-out. I've never shown anyone else before. It's all mine." she explained, before throwing Mr. Bear into the van and climbing in after him. She stuck out the top half of her body back out the window and stretched her hand out to him, a smile on her face.

"Come on. I'll show you inside." she said. He took her hand, and managed to climb in with her help. After he was in, she closed the window and crawled towards a little lamp. With a flick of the switch, the lamp turned on and revealed what was inside. It was mainly just dolls and other cute things she collected that were small enough to fit, but there other things too, like a pillow, blanket, even a tiny refridgerator for obvious use.

"Wow, Rena. This really is like a hide-out." he said, looking around, before turning his gaze onto her and grinned. "I'm really glad you showed me this. It's nice and quiet." Hearing that compliment made her smile.

"I know. I like it, because it's quiet..." she said, then started to crawl towards him. "...and private..." she inched closer. "...and I get to be alone." she finished, before crawling into his lap. Her arms went around his neck and her side pressed against his chest and stomach. "And now you can, too. Keiichi-kun and I can come here whenever we want, so we can be away from everyone else..." her voice trailed off as she nuzzled the top of her head into the bottom of his jaw. One arm went around her.

"...yeah. I like it here, too. Nobody can hear or see what goes on..." he paused, the other hand going up to run his fingers through her hair. He rested his cheek on the top of her head. "Rena...when I asked if you liked me a couple days ago...I didn't mean in a friendly way." he stated. She gasped silently, her eyes widening slightly and a light blush coming to her face. "I meant in a loving way. A way that only two people can feel towards another..." he paused again, hearing a soft "Keiichi-kun..." coming from the one in his arms. How long had he felt this way? It could've been since a few days ago, it could've been since he moved but never realized it until now. But now he did realize it, and he was going to be open about it to her.

"Keiichi-kun....likes Rena?" "Yes." "....in a more-than-just-friends way?" "Yes." "....." Hearing that silence made his heart sink a little. "....as I said before, Rena likes Keiichi-kun. Just like how..." she paused, moving to look up at him. "...like how Keiichi-kun likes Rena." she said, staring up at him into his eyes. That was it. He couldn't take it anymore. His soul melted under that gaze, and he gave in. He leaned in and his lips met hers at an angle, his eyes closed. She blinked with surprise, her blush getting darker. But nevertheless, she still returned his kiss, her own eyes following suit and shutting as well. Her fingers clenched onto his vest, his arms wrapping even tighter around her. They weren't aware of anything; anything, except for the other and their warm embrace. Thoughts of the festival escaped their minds. The warmth of air grew cool as time passed from twilight into night.

And the cry of the summer cicadas faded away into silence.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Yay for K1 x Rena fluff! ; w ;

I hope you enjoy the story so far. No worries, insanity will ensue soon...like in a couple-of-chapters soon... Muahaha... Hehe. I kinda like having those little italic things at the beginning of the chatpers. Who could be speaking to that voice? Who, I wonder? Haha. As it is 2 in the morning, I cannot think of much more to write at this point in time (though I want to sooo much.... Dx). However! I will say this:

M stuff ahead. Muahahaha...


	3. Hatsukoi: Connection

_Hey, isn't that enough?_

_From inside me, a voice gently pipes up._

_You've grieved enough._

_And over and over, I wonder whether I should just throw away my grieving Heart._

_Even so..I've stubbornly refused to abandon it._

_If I only would, it would ease my mind_

_Surely im the only one who understands the bitter hardships who can be thanked for them._

_Isn't it enough?_

_If it's so hard, you who I don't know, why don't you throw away your grieving Heart? It obviously causes such pain to you. And yet, you refuse to let go. Are you trying to punish yourself? You've already been forgiven! So there's no reason for you to suffer anymore! Why?! Why do you refuse to let go of something that torments?! You masochist, inflicting pain on yourself by not abandoning your grief! Why do you refuse to accept my forgiveness?!_

_...it's because of 'her', isn't it? Is my forgiveness not good enough? Because I am not 'her'? 'She' is gone now. The only place 'she' remains in now is your Heart. You have to stop looking at the past. You have to let go. Let 'her go, and move on into the next life. With me. I'm waiting here, my arms open and inviting. I'm waiting for you. I want to meet you! I want to finally meet you! So, why won't you come already? Here you have affection and unconditional love waiting for you! And yet 'she' still binds you to the painful past that you have endured! 'She' wants you to stay with her, to torture you with your guilt! Your mind can't be eased because 'she' still has you in her hold!_

_I used to think highly of 'her' because 'she' brought such joy to your life. I used to think highly of 'her' because 'she' made you smile. But now I can see that all 'she' has done was tempt you into a beautiful life and made you destroy it. And now, even from beyond the grave, 'she' still taunts you. 'She' mocks you for your sins, pretending to be reaching up to you in salvation and making you suffer because you refused to take it._

_...that witch._

_I will, one day, meet her. Maybe not this life, maybe not in the next, but one day. And I promise this to you now, I will make sure that whatever 'she' has made you go through, 'she' will go through herself ten-fold. I promise this. I promise my very existence on this. Your mind will ease, and your body will relax. You will be free, and you will soar up to meet me, so we can continue living on together in the next life. One day; one day...._

_.....'she' will be forgotten._

* * *

The faint murmur of distant chatter echoed throughout the area. Now that night had fallen, it was almost time for the most important part of the Watanagashi: the cotton-drifting. The Shrine Maiden, Rika Furude, held up her hoe, Oyashiro-sama's tool of sacrifice, and did a ritual dance. The crowd watched as she spun around, her hair and maiden outfit flowing perfectly in the soft breeze of early night. The movements come and back in a series of graceful turns and spins, the hoe finally did its role and was stabbed into an awaiting futon. The futon was ripped open, its inner cotton exposing its cleanliness and purity. The ritual was over, and the towns people applauded the Shrine Maiden's performance. One by one, they lined up to receive a small ball of cotton; the very cotton that would be pressed against their skin and absorb all of the impurities in their bodies. One by one, they placed the cotton balls into the river near the festival. One by one, the cotton balls quietly and almost dreamily floated down with the current.

Of the 2,000 people living in Hinamizawa, only 1,996 cotton balls were drifted that night.

* * *

Two bodies were pressed against eachother, huddling together for warmth, security, and love. Her head laid against his chest, his arms wrapped around her body, holding it firmly in place against his own. His back was leaned up against Mr. Bear, his chin resting upon the top of her head. The two were silent, listening only to the dying sound of the evening cicadas from outside and the faint _'bm-bump' _of the others heart. His fingers occassionally stroked her hair, as if reminding himself that she was still there in his embrace. Both of their eyes were closed, each thinking deeply. He was trying to hold onto the memory of the first time their lips were pressed against one-another, in attempts of holding on to that warmth he had never felt before. As for her, she was replaying the events of each day since they had met. She remembered how nervous and shy he was on his first day in school, and how she thought he was adorable with that shy face of his and wanted to take him home. She remembered the picnic their group shared not too long ago, where he had given her such emotional words in attempts to win against Satoko for her delicious apple rabbits. The days passed, until she finally reached that night. It was just so perfect. The entire day was spent with just the two of them, together and away from anyone else. It was like something out of those romance novels she had browsed through in the bookstore but was always too embarrassed to actually buy. It was like a -- ...no. It was even better than a dream, because a dream was something you could wake up from. This, however, wasn't.

"Keiichi-kun...." she murmured quietly, her body snuggling into his. He smiled, his arms wrapping tighter around her. "Yes, Rena? What is it?" he asked in a similar tone. "Can you promise, that we will stay this way?" This caught his attention. "What do you mean, Rena?"

"I mean, like this. Just the two of us, not needing anyone else." she began, the top of her head nuzzling into his jaw as she had done so before. "Being together and being happy, forever." As she cooed that last part, she placed a gentle kiss upon his jaw, seeing as how it was the closest thing of skin she was near to. Keiichi thought about that for a moment. Could they? Could they truly be together and happy? Forever? He pondered this for a moment.

"Yes. We will stay this way. Always." he said, grinning happily. His hand gentle tossled her brunette hair, before running his fingers through it, savoring the feeling it had running between his fingers. She blushed as he did this, swearing that her heart had just skipped a beat. He looked down at her blushing face, before his hand left her head and moved to her chin.

"Hey. Was that too cute for you?" he grinned, teasing. Her cheeks only grew even more enflamed, and she looked away in a huff. He laughed, and Rena soon joined him, laughing at her foolishness.

* * *

"Hey, where the hell were you two?!" Mion huffed, obviously unamused with Rena's and Keiichi's act of defiance earlier that day.

"Somewhere we can hide and you'll never be able to find us. Ever." Keiichi grinned smugly, taunting her with his knowledge of Rena's secret hiding place and Mion's lack of it. This angered the eldest member of the club, easily set off by the newest member's teasing. Satoko and Rika watched with confusion, before the shrine maiden spoke.

"Mii~ But what if something bad happens and we have to look for you? Would you hide then, good sir? Would you?" Rika asked, trying to be as cute as she could in attempts to getting Rena to talk. It appeared to be working at first, since Rena was blushing madly and looking at Rika with googly eyes, until Keiichi put a hand over Rena's mouth.

"Don't do it, Rena. She's working you into her trap." he warned, before the both of them glanced at the little girl.

"I-Is that what you really think I'm trying to do, good sir...?" Rika hiccuped slightly, her eyes wide and watery, as if she was about to cry. That was it. A bomb exploded.

"OOOOH YOU'RESOCUTEIWANNATAKEYOUHOOOOOME~" Rena squealed and took the girl into her arms and squeezed her like a stuffed animal. Her face nuzzled into the top of Rika's head, cooing happily. Rika secretly stuck her tongue out at Keiichi, and Satoko laughed her usual "Ohohohoho~".

"Rena~ If you don't let go of Rika, I won't show you something cute that I have~" Keiichi said in a taunting tone. A split second passed before Rena let go of Rika and rushed over to Keiichi. "Really?! Something cute?! What is it?!" she asked, all excited that she might have a possible new take-home item. He grinned and led her away. "Yup! And nobody else can see it." he said loudly on purpose, before the two disappeared behind some stands. This left the remaining three members to ponder about what exactly was so cute that Keiichi couldn't show to anyon--

"Oh no he's not!!" Mion gasped, suddenly realizing what it could be. A few moments passed before the two came back. Rena's face was all flustered and she seemed to be a bit light-headed.

"Oh? What did Keiichi-san show you, Rena-san?" Satoko asked with curiousity. Her and Rika, being the youngest of the group, weren't old enough to understand certain mature things that were joked about between the older three.

"K-K-K-K-Keiichi-kun's s-s-sea-bear... I-i-it's so s-small and c-c-c-cute...." she stammered, almost unable to think.

"Kei-chan how dare you!!" Mion instantly grabbed his collar and threw him down to the ground. "Showing something that to girl, especially to innocent Rena here, of all people!!!!" she shouted, pounding him into the ground. Satoko joined in, shouting stuff about treating a lady right, though she herself didn't exactly understand what Mion was freaking out about. Keiichi was blabbering incohalent nonsense when Rena suddenly pulled Mion and Satoko away.

"N-No it's not that! H-H-He has a little s-sea-bear on his key-chain...." Rena quickly explained. Keiichi, grinning meekly and weakly, shakily held up the key-chain. On it was a little seal.

"That sea-bear is rather cute, good sir. What would it be doing on Keiichi's key-chain, good sir? Nippah~" Rika teased. Satoko laughed, while Mion folded her arms across her chest and looked away angrily.

"You should know better than that, taking Rena away to show her something secretly and then having her come back all flushed and aloof." she scolded. Rika then realized something.

"Oh, good sirs! Did you take part in the cotton-drifting?" she asked. Rena suddenly gasped. "N-No, we haven't!! Is there still time?!" she asked in a panic. Mion shook her head, sending Rena into depression. A small hand tugged on Rena's white dress.

"It's alright, good sir. You haven't done anything bad this year, so Oyashiro-sama will forgive you. Nippah~" she reassured the worried girl. That eased Rena's nerves a little, and she chuckled nervously. "Y-You think so?" she asked, getting a nod and a smile in reply.

A few moments later, the group left the festival. Satoko was scolding Keiichi about leaving the group with another member and something about being responsible when it comes to ladies. He wasn't paying attention. All of his thoughts were on how great his first Watanagashi was. Without warning, Satoko and Rika pulled away from the group.

"This is where we must part ways, good sirs." Rika said, bowing apologetically. "We bid you good night. Nippah~" Rika got onto her bike. "Yeah, see ya guys tomorrow!" Satoko said, also getting onto her own bike, before the two rode off.

"Bai bai~" Rena waved as the two young girls vanished into the night. "Are those two going to be alright, riding home by themselves in the dark?" Keiichi asked with concern. "Those two are fine. They know their way around town, and besides, Rika is the town's Reincarnation of Oyashiro. Nobody wants Oyashiro's wrath placed on them, so who would want to hurt her?" Mion shrugged, before walking away.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?!" Keiichi called. "Uhm, home? I go down this way. You two go down the other way." she reminded. "Oh, and by the way," she walked back towards Keiichi, and got really close to his face, "don't you dare do anything bad to Rena on your way home. I know you and your pervy ways." She threatened. "My pervy ways?! Who's always pointing out the size of my--"

"Uhm, Keiichi-kun, Mii-chan has to get home. I heard they were having a meeting at their house." Rena interrupted. Mion then sneered, and ran off. "See ya guys tomorrow!" she called back, disappearing into the night just the same as the two before her did. "Damn it, Mion can be really vulgar sometimes..." Keiichi sighed, causing Rena to giggle.

"She can be pretty vulgar sometimes, but she also has a really girly side to her. She tries really hard not to show it, though." Rena said, before taking Keiichi's hand and leading the way down the path to their houses.

"I think today was really fun, Keiichi-kun. Did you like it, too? Did you?" she asked, a bright smile on her face. Like a deadly virus, it spread into Keiichi's body and made him smile as well. He took her to her house, which was actually the first time he'd ever been to her house. She had to lead the way. He was actually pretty amused at how it looked. He always pictured her house to be small and cute, not the huge size it was. It was two stories, and a pretty big size for just a family of three. Especially when one considered the area they lived in.

"Wow, Rena. You have a really nice house." he asked. "You think so? I like it, too. It was the only free house around, so we bought it when we moved back." she explained. She opened the front door and saw that it was dark before taking off her shoes and walking in.

"Huh. Dad must be out with his girlfriend again," she assumed. This caught the poor boy off-guard. "Whoa whoa wait a minute. 'Girlfriend'? Isn't your dad married?" Keiichi asked. The girl shook her head.

"No. Mama and Papa got divorced before we came here due to certain...things." she paused. "Would you like to come in, Keiichi-kun? It's almost dinner-time, and it wouldn't be right if you walked home by yourself." she offered.

"Uhh, sure. I'd have to ask my folks, though." he said, walking in after taking off his shoes and leaving them by the shoeself. By the time he walked in, Rena was already on the downstairs phone talking with his mother.

"Hello, Mrs. Maebara? This is Rena. I wanted to know if you were fine with Keiichi-kun staying and eating dinner at my house. Uh-huh. I see. Okay, then! Bye now~" she hung up the phone. "Good news! You can stay for dinner!" she said, her face beaming with happiness. He cheered inside, before walking towards her in the kitchen. "Really? Awesome." he said. She was already starting some stoves and getting some pots and pans.

"Whatcha makin'?" he asked with utter curiousity. Rena turned and grabbed some ingredients from the fridge and some cupboards.

"Oh, nothing much. Some curry rice, vegetable miso soup, some of our family's home-grown pickles, and for dessert, some anpan," she replied. Keiichi started to drool, just thinking about the food. Rena was a pretty good cook, and he knew now that she made her own meals, since her mother was out of the picture. At afternoon recess, everyone fought over her lunch the most, which told anyone that the food was delicious. And one occassion, she even brought over some of those famous pickles to his house. They were devoured mercilessly by the Maebara family before sundown.

"Mmm, that does sound pretty good. Anything I can do to help?" he asked, feeling a bit guilty if all he did was stand there and wait to eat while Rena did all of the work. She seemed to think for a moment, before nodding with a "yup!"

"Keiichi-kun, you can be my personal taste-tester to see if it tastes good," she said, sending his heart soaring. He would get to try Rena's delicious food before anyone else. It was more of an honor than getting into any school in the country-- no, the world.

"I will do my best," he bowed respectfully, making her giggle. "That's good to hear.... oh, no!" she gasped in realization. "We're all out of rice!" Well, there goes the curry rice and vegetable miso soup. He couldn't just stand around and watch Rena worry.

"Don't worry, Rena! We have plenty of rice at my house, so I can run home really quickly and get some!" he said, feeling triumphant. "Y-You would do that?" she stammered. He grinned, before tossling her hair and making his way towards the door. "You bet! My mom always carries more than enough rice. I'm sure that borrowing some wouldn't be a hassle!" he called out to the kitchen, shoving his feet into his shoes. He pictured it in his head: Keiichi, the hero, bringing home rice for their dinner of two. He would not only bring rice, but maybe some other food so Rena wouldn't have to work as hard. Rena, delighted, would thank him in a shower of kisses. He grinned and blushed only slightly at the thought of that. "I'll be back in a few minutes--" he said, opening the door, and paused when he saw someone there.

"Oh, hello, Keiichi. What are you doing here?" asked the person. "I...am staying over for dinner, Mr. Ryugu. Rena invited me," he explained. He suddenly heard an amused giggle. It sounded feminine.

"Really? Reina-chan invited you for dinner? That's so sweet of her!"

Keiichi looked over at the other person. It was a woman. She had a...rather interesting hair-color. Was it pink? She seemed to be only slightly taller than Rena, and she had a star tattoo on her hip. Her clothes were somewhat questionable as well, but she seemed like a nice person, and Rena's father was dating her, so he didn't judge or question her. But, why did she call her "Reina"?

"Uhh, yeah...she invited me. We already asked my parents, and they're cool with it. She's in the kitchen, if you wanted to talk to her. I was just going to run home for a minute to get something." he said, standing aside to let Rena's dad and his girlfriend in. The two walked in and Mr. Ryugu removed his shoes. He walked into the kitchen. "Hello, Reina," he greeted. Rena, who was occupied with getting the water and brother heated for dinner, looked over at the voice, and instantly went happy.

"Hello, Papa!" she replied cheerfully. "Reina, I have something to tell you. Rina and I won't be needing dinner tonight," he said. She blinked, the smile going away. "Oh? How come?"

"Well, see, I was planning on taking Rina out to dinner tonight. And you're always making everybody's dinners, and so I thought that tonight you should take a break and not work so hard. You already do so much for me, I thought I should give you a breather."

"Oh....I see...." Rena thought for a moment. "Well, if it makes Papa happy, then it makes Rena happy, too!" she grinned. He smiled and patted her head before turning and heading back towards the door.

"We'll be going now, so we'll see you in a bit, alright?" he said. Rena, being wise and leaving the stove only on "low", followed him. "Alright, Papa. I hope you two have fun--" she paused, seeing the woman in the doorway. She smiled and waved at the girl.

"Hello, Reina-chan~" she said, looking so friendly. "Uhh, hello, Rina-san. How do you do?" Rena responded with a bow. "Reina-chan, I wish you would stop feeling so formal with me. It really makes me feel like we're not trying to get to know eachother at all," Rina walked over towards the girl and held her tightly. "Because you know, I love you sooo much!" she said. Keiichi noticed some reaction Rena had. She seemed....shocked. But why? If her dad was going out with this woman, shouldn't she be feeling a bit comfortable around her? Rina, not getting much of a response from Rena, let go and headed back to walk outside.

"We'll see ya tonight, Reina-chan~" she said. She and Mr. Ryugu waved, before shutting the door. The two teenagers were silent for a moment, before Keiichi broke the silence.

"Rena? Are you alright?" he asked. She looked away a little. "....I hate that woman." This caught him off-guard. Rena? Saying that she hated someone? And referring to her with "that woman", it wasn't like her at all! She quickly snapped out of it and returned to her normal, bubbly self. "Keiichi-kun, I think you should hurry. We don't the water to evaporate." Keiichi nodded, before rushing out the door and to his house.

While Keiichi ran home, he had so many questions he wanted to ask. Who was this Rina person? Why did always call Rena "Reina"? More importantly, why did Rena hate her so much? Those thoughts occupied his attention enough for him to not realize he had accidentally ran right past his house. He quickly ran back and opened the door, kicking off his shoes and running into the kitchen. He asked his mom if he and Rena could borrow some rice, which she agreed to. After receiving the bag of rice, he also borrowed a few things of chocolate candies. Rena looked like she could use some extra cheering up tonight. He then ran back to the Ryugu house, opened the door, kicked off his shoes once again, and ran into the kitchen.

"Rena, I got the rice..." he said, panting a little. He was a bit out of breath with all of that running. In the time it took for him to run home and get the rice, Rena had already added the vegetables to the miso. She looked over at hearing his voice.

"Really? Keiichi-kun, thank you! Thank you sooo much!" she said, obviously delighted that he had done such a huge favor for her. He smiled and walked over to her, placing the bag on a clear spot on the kitchen counter. "It was no problem, really--" he was suddenly cut off by a big, warm bear hug, provided by the girl making them dinner. He blushed a little, feeling her breasts push up against his body.

"Even if it was a small favor, Keiichi-kun did it, and he did it for Rena. That's all that matters to Rena," she said, nuzzling into his neck. He got it now. It wasn't because he did the _favor_; it was because he _himself_ did the favor. Anyone could have done what he did and gotten the rice and nobody else would receive the same treatment he was receiving right now. He hugged her in return, holding her for a moment in bliss, when the scent of cooking food brought them back to reality.

"Oh! I should probably keep the miso stirred," she grinned sheepishly, letting go and walking back towards the stove. With Rena's direction, Keiichi poured the rice into a rice cooker that was sitting on the counter and waited for it to cook. She asked him to try the miso soup and gave him a small spoonful to taste it. His tastebuds went to heaven, and told her that it was perfect. The rice was soon done, and curry rice made from it. That was set onto the table. The miso soup was also soon done, and it was poured into two soup bowls, also set onto the table. The home-grown pickles were in the fridge, and after getting warmed up in the pot of water for a few minutes, they, too, were ready to eat. Everything was done and on the table, waiting. Keiichi pulled out Rena's chair and pushed it back in once she was sitting in it, making her blush a little. Never before had she gotten just gentleman-like treatment. Keiichi sat down beside her. They said their "Thank you for the food", before picking up their chopsticks and began to eat. Rena, who ate her home-cooked meals daily, was used to the taste and couldn't really tell how good it was. Keiichi, on the other hand, thought that this food rivaled even his own mother's home-cooked food. The vegetables used were all perfectly cooked, making the miso soup taste even better than usual. He had never eaten curry rice that was as delicious as the curry rice he was eating at that very moment. And the pickles were just naturally perfect. He envied the man who would take Rena as a future wife. Better yet, he decided that to not only make sure nobody else but her family would get to taste her five-star food, but to also want to be home on a certain time every night, he would make Rena his bride. He chortled to himself, thinking of how ridiculous it would seem if he suddenly proposed to her right now.

"Keiichi-kun?" Her voice brought him out of his thoughts. "You're making a lot of funny faces." She was giggling. Oh no! He almost forgot that his thoughts would often come out onto his face. Damn it.

"I was? Oh. I was just thinking of how great it would be if you were to be my wife," he leaned back in his chair, his eyes closing. He peeked out of one eye to see Rena's reaction. As expected, she red in the face and stammered when she spoke.

"K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-eiichi-K-K-K-un's w-w-w-w-w-w-ife???" she studdered. Time to tease her a bit more. "Yup! And we'd live in a big house, and have lots of adorable children!" he said, pretending to get all into thoughts of his future. "C-C-C...Children....?" she studdered again. "Yeah, lots of them! And they'd all be adorable because you'd be their mother." His words were only making the situation worse. He opened his eyes and looked at her. He grinned, satisfied with her reaction.

"Just kidding."

* * *

The dinner mess was cleaned up and the left-overs were put away. "Thank you for coming over and helping with dinner, Keiichi-kun," Rena said, smiling. She had snapped out of her aloof-stage and had gotten back to normal. "No problem, Rena. Thank you for letting me eat some of your food. It was really, really delicious," he replied. She walked him to the door, remembering that they had school tomorrow and Keiichi had to be home. He put on his shoes and opened the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Keiichi-kun. Have a safe walk home," she said. To her surprise, he turned around, grabbed her hands and placed something in them, and kissed her. A few seconds passed before their lips parted, leaving her face flustered. He smiled, content with that night.

"I'll see you tomorrow...Rena." He let go of her hands, and walked back to his house. She stood her, frozen for a moment, before looking down to see what he placed in her hand.

There were three little chocolate candies.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

So sorry for taking so damn long to update this story! ; A ;

With it being summer vacation, I'm supposed to have a lot of free time, right? WELL....I did. And during a majority of that free time, I had writer's block. So, don't expect my VK story to be updated anytime soon either. Dx

But with _THIS_ story.... I had inspiration! I had hope! And now, I have more chances of carpull tunnel! Oh damn. Oh well. Like, 75% of this was written just last night, so my fingers are pretty tired of typing. Haha. I bet you're all wondering, "this isn't Higurashi, this is just some K1 x Rena fluff wtflolololol".

IT'LL GET TO THAT SOON!

I promise you, in the next chapter, something will go wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong. Kihihihihihi....


	4. Haishin: Thoughts

I cannot quench your thirst

Because even if you yearn for the truth, you refuse to believe in it.

I cannot quench your thirst

Because the truth you are waiting for does not exist.

But I still want to quench your thirst,

Because I am the one that left you in the desert.

* * *

_"Whaaat? You're kidding me, right?!" Mion asked. The three were walking home from school the day after the festival._

_"I know, it's so horrible. I mean, what kind of parents just up and leave their kid home all by themselves?" Keiichi whined. Rena giggled a little._

_Allow me to elaborate. I, Keiichi Maebara, have to live by myself in my house for a few days. My parents left this afternoon due to my dad's work. Usually, they settle everything over the phone. But, judging by their conversation a few nights ago, Dad's work isn't going over so well. What does my dad do? He's an artist. That's the whole reason why we came to Hinamizawa in the first place. ...well, at least, that's what we agreed on. At any rate, Dad usually does really well. He's the main income person in our family, so if anything happened to him or his job, it would be the end of the Maebara family. So my mom and dad went to Tokyo to discuss his contract. Of course, they decide to leave me all by myself in this somewhat foreign land. But, I don't mind. I'm pretty familiar with the place, and I know some people, so I guess I'm set._

_"That sucks. Like, majorly, dude. How are you going to survive?" Mion teased. She knew Keiichi was a pretty crappy cook. "I guess I'll just have to live on ramen..." he sighed in despair. "Nyahahaha~ Won't you get all fat and pudgy just eating junk the whole time?" Mion chortled. Rena instantly grew loofy and blushy. "Hauu~ Keiichi-kun, fat and pudgy? So cuuuute...~"_

_"Oh, shut up, Mion. It's not like I'll get that way over the course of 3 days."_

The doorbell suddenly rang. Keiichi, who had seemed to have dozed off on the couch after returning home, was jolted awake after hearing it. His eyes drowzily looked over to the wall clock that hung in the room. It was 7 o'clock. Well, late enough for it to be dark outside. Who would be at his door this late at night? He forced himself up onto his feet, the doorbell rining again. He turned on a light and stepped onto the tile in front of the door. He had to leave the chain-lock on. House rules. Because of that, he only unlocked the handle lock before opening the door. The space between the door and the doorframe was about 6 inches, enough for someone to peek out to see who it was ringing their doorbell so late at night.

"Good evening, Keiichi-kun~" An all-too familiar voice rang past the door, before the face that the voice belonged to appeared in the doorway's space. It was Rena, wearing her usual outfit consisting of her white dress with ribbons, her baret, and boots. This was a surprise, but it was a pleasant surprise.

"Oh, hey Rena. What're you doing here?" he asked. "Keiichi-kun...Could you open the door for a second? I wanna talk to you..." "Sorry. We have to leave the chain on at night..." "Oh..."

There was a silence. "Oh! I want to know, has Keiichi-kun eaten his dinner yet?" she asked. He shook his head, making a grin appear across her face. "That's great! 'Cause, you see, Rena brought Keiichi-kun some of his favorite side dishes!" As if proving her claim, she presented him with a bag full of containers of various sizes. "You did?"

"Uh-huh! If I could use your kitchen, I could warm it up a bit..." "That's fine, Rena. Really, you don't have to. I'll be fine on my own." he said, trying to reassure her. For some reason, something about this scene was oddly....familiar.

"But it's really good, and chock-full of vegetables and tofu! Don't you like that, Keiichi-kun? Don't you?" she asked, the smile never leaving her face. "I brought some rice leftover from last night, too! Just give it some time on the stove and it'll be ready to eat!" He almost started to drool. You couldn't go wrong with miso soup. And with the rice? You shovel it all in and wash it down with the miso.

_Ahh, the joys of being born Japanese~!!_

"And, you can sample some more of my homemade pickles! I used mountain vegetables this time!"

_I'd scorned the lowly mountain vegetable before moving to Hinamizawa. However...after just one bite, I was a slave to their charms! Such depth of flavor within simplicity! Compared to them, the things they sell as "vegetables" at the grocer's are just tasteless! Or perhaps, one might say they are only intended for "vegetable beginners". To become an expert like me, one must first develop an appreciation for mountain vegetables._

"And then...And then after that...!" Rena went on. _Oooh, there's more...!! Forewell to the unhealthy me who was satisfied with cup ramen! _

.........and then, he felt an evil chill crawl up his spine. He couldn't understand why he'd be having that particular emotion right then. However....something inside of him was trying to tell him something. He knew it. He definitely knew it. Something deep in his gut told him that....something very similar to this has happened before. Maybe not "here", but...somewhere that was like "here". It was difficult to explain.

"Uh, Rena?" "Yes, Keiichi-kun?" "W...What is my favorite type of ramen?" She looked dumbfounded. He didn't know why he even asked that question in the first place. But he asked it anyway.

"I...don't know. Why?" she asked. His favorite flavor of ramen was ginger tonkotsu. In that other "here", Rena had, somehow, known that fact. And, for some other reason, she knew he was home alone. He would understand the reason why she brought him food this time: she was worried since he was a crappy cook and would have to be forced into eating junk food the whole time. But, in that other "here"....he never told anybody. For some reason, he didn't want to tell anybody. What reason would be so important as to not tell your own friends that you would be on your own?

"Keiichi-kun?" her voice, as usual, brought him out of his thoughts. "Ahh, sorry about that, Rena. I spaced out for a bit." he grinned sheepishly. "Hang on. I'll let you in." His hand reached for the door, before he froze once again. There it was. That feeling that something like this had happened. The events that happened in that other "here" were too similar to what was happening now to just be a coincidence. He knew that, during those other "here" events, he had hurt Rena. He hurt her, with his own hand. And he did so with...this door. For some reason, he had refused entrance to her, and so she had begged to be let in. Sick of her begging, he had.....slammed the door as hard as he could on her. And she bled. She bled horribly, still pleading with him to let her go because of the pain. But he just ignored her, yelling at her to go home. Of course, how could she go home? She was stuck in the door, crying and in pain. He shook out those thoughts, carefully unlatched the chain-lock, and opened the door.

"There ya go." He stood aside and allowed her to walk in. Seeing that she was allowed in, Rena walked into the tiled area, removed her shoes, and stepped into the house. As she passed him, Keiichi felt a wave of guilt course through his body. How could he hurt someone like Rena? She had been taking care of him ever since he moved to this town, and she was ever-so nice and loyal. So.... what happened in that other "here" that made him hurt her like that?

"Rena? You wouldn't yell at me or accuse me of lying, would you?" he asked, following her into the house after shutting and locking the door. "Huh? Why would I do that?" she asked, concern coming across her face. Keiichi had been acting strange, ever since he answered the door. "Just...no reason."

The two walked into the kitchen, and she began to unpack the bags of food and placed the containers onto the counter. They were still a bit warm, but would probably taste better when steaming.

"Uhm....Keiichi-kun...I didn't just bring the miso soup or vegetables..." she said shlyly. This caught his attention. "Uhh....I also brought...." she took another, cold container out of the bag. There were lots of little red things inside. "...I also brought some....apple rabbits." That was a surprise. When the group went on a picnic after giving him a private tour of the town, Rena had brought some apple rabbits at that time as well. He remembered how he and Satoko fought in a duel of epic proportions over her apple rabbits. He hasn't eaten any since, but... now was his chance to eat some. And they were all for him. He thought of how Satoko would react, and grinned smugly.

"That was really nice of you, Rena~" he cooed, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and nuzzling his nose into the side of her neck. She froze in place, startled by the sudden affection he was giving her. "W-W-What do you m-mean, K-K-K-Keiichi-kun...?" she asked. Her face was probably red by now. He chuckled a bit, before his grip on her body tightened. "I meant, it was nice of you to bring dinner. You must really care about me." "W-Well....Mii-chan said that you were going to grow all fat and....p-pudgyyy~" she cooed, sudden thoughts of Keiichi being all rolly-polly coming into her mind. He laughed a little.

"You really think that I would get fat like that eating ramen for a few days?" he asked, amused by her foolishness. "Well, it also has to do with your health." she stated. "If I am going to be Keiichi-kun's bride, I have to make sure that Keiichi-kun lives a long, healthy life!" she said, beaming. Wait...she took that comment last night seriously? Of course she did. Rena took everything seriously, even when the joke was obvious. But that trait of hers only made her even more endearing.

And more fun to tease.

"Awwh, I'm touched to know that you would bring food for me just so I eat better. It really is comforting, knowing that someone besides my mom is willing to cook for me," he grinned, holding her as though she was a teddy bear, making her giggle. Now that he thought about it.... this really did seem like a situation a husband and wife would go through.

The husband, tired and weary and unable to cook anything, is fed homemade food by his loving wife. The two are in the kitchen, working together to make dinner just for the two of them. They have a good time, because they are together.

He knew that thoughts like that would send Rena into a frenzy of blushes and stammers. She couldn't really stomach the romantic stuff....which would be just fine for the two of them. He never really had a real relationship with a girl before, so he wouldn't know anything. And Rena, apparently, had never been in a real relationship with a boy. They wouldn't be able to go too far, and even if they were about to, Rena would surely stop them. That way, they would be able to stop themselves from making any stupid mistakes.

....right?

* * *

The boy took the girl home, just as a gentleman should, before returning back to his house. Tonight's dinner was really good, even better than his own mom's cooking. As much as he wanted them to come back, he didn't. He wanted to be left helpless in that house, so Rena could come by everyday with her delicious food and her warm bod-- personality. What was that? Was that a perverted thought? He shook it off, going into the kitchen to take care of the leftovers. The containers were still warm, and reminded him of her skin. No, wait. That wasn't right. It was that feeling inside, right?

_No, Keiichi Maebara, that's not it at all. You can't keep lying to yourself forever. _

_I can try, can't I? And what would I be lying to myself about? I really do love her company, and she does give me this content feeling, like I don't need anything else._

_Oh really?_

_Yes, really._

_Then why were you just comparing her body warmth to the containers that held the food she brought?_

He couldn't argue with himself there. He was just thinking about her, and that was just from some plastic containers which he would need to return in the morning.

_....you can't be serious._

_It's shocking, isn't it? Discovering the feelings you have that long for another usually has that sort of reaction._

_What are you talking about? I know what I feel towards Rena. It's a special kind of love, one I can't give to my family or anyone else. Is that so bad?_

_Those aren't the feelings I'm talking about._

_What....are you saying, then?_

_You long for her._

_Of course I do. Just yesterday, I couldn't stand waiting to see her._

_You don't long for her attention. You long for her touch. For her warmth. You can't deny it, Keiichi. You __**want **__her._

_...shut up. There's no way I could...Rena is just way to innocent and nice! I couldn't do that to her!_

_You know that you do. It's obvious and yet you're too stupid to see it._

_Shut up...!_

_You want her so badly, it's starting to make you grow mad._

"_**Shut up, God damn it!!!!!**_"

His thoughts suddenly became words. He lost control of his body and flung the containers at the wall in a fit of rage and frusteration at himself. He took a few heavy breaths, before realizing exactly what had happened. As much as he hated to admit it, his inner self was right. He did long for her touch. He wanted to be able to hold her close and not let go. It was just this...wanting, to have her warmth belong to him and him alone.

"Ahahahaha... I think....I should go to bed..." he said, picking up the containers off of the floor. The leftovers had been put away before she left, so Keiichi would have enough to eat for lunch tomorrow. Although he admitted it, part of him was still in denial. No, it can't be that.... He was...probably just not used to so much attention from a girl and got addicted to it. Yeah, that was probably it. Just attention from one of the opposite sex that was his age. That had to be it...that had to be....

_.........but....if that was it.....then why am I trying so hard to prove myself wrong?_

The next morning, Keiichi woke early and frusterated. The previous night's self-argument went on even in his sleep. He kept waking up in the middle of the night, and in one instance he even found himself cuddling with his pillow. Since when did he do that?!

.....since he realized exactly what was making him this way. He didn't have the real thing, so to substitute, his body subconsiously replaced her with the pillow. Just for the night, so he could sleep. It seemed kind of silly; the only thing that was able to get him to finally sleep was cuddling up to a pillow. He scoffed at that thought and got up. It was earlier than he usually got up. That was because his mom wasn't here, so he had to make his own lunch. That, and he needed to take a shower. He was feeling kind of grody.

"Nyahahaha~ Sleep well, Kei-chan?" Mion poked Keiichi's cheek. The boy was face-down in his desk, tired from last night. He hated how his mind would think too deeply into things, and the result of that was usually his view on the subject would change entirely. It happened a lot at his old school in the city. However, it was that mind of his that got him such amazing grades; it was that mind of his that got him into deep trouble. He shook his head, trying to forget what happened then.

_Calm down, Keiichi...that was all in the past....You have to focus on other things now._

He glanced over at Rena, who was helping Rika and Satoko with the day's lesson. Rika seemed to be getting it rather quickly, while Satoko appeared to be having some trouble. She got flustered from being impatient with the lesson, causing Rena to start going into her "take-home" mode. Rika had to stop her so they could stay focused and learn so they could become good adults. Good adults.... The boy pondered that thought, before dozing off.

"Maebara-san? Are you alright?" he could hear the teacher's voice ask. "It seems that Keiichi-san has fallen asleep..." one of his other classmates spoke. Who was that again? He couldn't remember. "Ohohohoho~ Then I will not miss this chance! Surely this will be the greatest I've ever set~" Damn that Satoko. Even when he was vunerable, she'd show no mercy?

"Mii~ Satoko, we must pay attention and finish learning the lesson." Rika-chan was always such a good girl. He really owed her one. "Well, could someone please wake him?" Please, teacher. Don't do that...!

"Uhh, Chirie-sensei? You can let Keiichi-kun sleep. He looks really tired and if he wouldn't do as well in learning our lesson. I'll just take extra good notes for him for when he wakes up. Is that okay?" That was somewhat surprising. Rena has never offered to take his notes for him. Of course, he's never really fallen asleep in class before, either. Everyday was usually full of chaos, but he was just too tired to partake in it today. He really owed Rena one, too. Of course, it was probably something he already learned, so he wasn't too worried. And chances were, things would end up with him having to teach her and Mion. So, Rena's efforts to help him were pretty futile. But....it was still thoughtful of her.

"....Kei-chan, wipe that smug look off your face."

* * *

"And see, you take the value of 'x', and subtract it." Rena tried teaching Keiichi and Mion this time. "Oh, I think I get it now!!" Mion said, and tried to do a problem on her own. "Is this right, Kei-chan?" she asked and showed him the problem. He looked it over, wondering why Mion wasn't the one teaching him and Rena. She was the older one, afterall.

"Yeah, that looks right. I think you finally got the hang of this, Mion." he said, handing her back the problems. Rena felt triumphant. For once, she got the problems. He sensed this aura of success around her, and grinned inside.

The day passed by in the blink of an eye, and soon it was time to go home. In the city, school days always dragged on and on and it kind of pissed him off because he just didn't want to be there. But in Hinamizawa, the new experience kept him wanting more, and as they say, time flies when you're having fun. Most of the class had packed up and left, leaving the club to do their usual after-school activities.

"Alright~! Now, then, before we decide on a game, what should the punishment be this time?" Mion announced. Not only was she the class president, but she was also the club leader. So, she had to naturally take charge. The rest of the members thought for a moment.

"How about the loser has to carry the winner's handbags?" Satoko suggested. Keiichi guffawed.

"Satoko, you obviously don't understand the beauty and excitement of these punishment games! Just simply letting the loser carry the winner's handbags is too much of a waste for something as sweet as this!" he said, getting dramatic about it. Mion sneered. "Not once in my whole life have I heard something as beautiful as that. So, Kei-chan, what do you suggest for the punishment game?" she challenged. A demon's smile crept onto his face.

"Here is how it should go down: the loser will carry the winner's handbags home. However! They will do so in a maid outfit and they will have to feed the winner desserts!" Mion chuckled. "Is that all?"

"Of course not. Furthermore! The loser will also have to wear whatever the winner tells them to wear, as well as call them 'master' and greet them in the morning and in the evening! And whenever they meet someone, they will introduce the winner as their 'master'! And they will continue to be the winner's slave until either the 'master' loses in the next club game, or if the 'slave' wins." The rest of the group was amazed. That did sound like a fun punishment game. Satoko chuckled evilly.

"Alright then, Keiichi-san....I accept your challenge!! Ohohohoho~" she laughed mockingly. "Mii~ I will also try my best. Nippah~" "If Rika-chan and Satoko-chan are getting serious, then Rena will get serious as well!" "Alright! This is turning into a very interesting game! Now what shall we play, Club President?!" "The game today is.....!!"

* * *

"Hauu...I can't believe I lost that badly...." Rena looked gloomy. She had lost the punishment game, and was forced to carry the winner's handbag and wear a maid outfit. It was made out of cotton and silk, and the sleeves were poofy. It was black and white and had purple ribbons tied in bows all across the bust area. It went down to mid-thigh, and to match, she even had to wear black maid shoes and white stockings. The stockings each had a purple bow on them as well. On the back of the dress, there was a large bow, similar to her usual day-dress. And on the top of her head, there was a black hat with purple bows circling around the rim of the hat. "Nyahaha~ I'm actually surprised Kei-chan came out on top. I was totally expecting him to be in your place, Rena, not to be the one you have to be a slave for." Mion pointed out. Keiichi chortled in triumph. The game they played was Rich Man, Poor Man.

_"The game today is......Rich Man, Poor Man!!" Mion announced. "What? We're going with a card game this time?" Satoko asked with a bit of surprise. "That's right! A game that challenges players of all levels of skill! This way, even Kei-chan, who totally sucks at these games, would have a chance of winning!"_

_Suckers...They don't know, but back in my old school, I was the Rich Man, Poor Man champion! Nobody could defeat me! Nobody!!_

"My dad will give me a scolding if he sees me in this...Hauu..." she sighed in despair. "Well, maybe if you're lucky, Kei-chan will go easy on you. Maybe." Mion shot him a threatening look. "Oh relax, Mion. Like I would really take advantage of Rena just because she's--..." he paused. That's right. Rena did have to do whatever he told her to do. He almost forgot about that rule, and he was the one who suggested this punishment. Stupid Keiichi...!

"Anyway, you should give me more credit than that. I'm not like you, y'know." he frowned. "Whatever." she said, then ran off. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!" she called back. Were they already at the parting spot? How weird. The day seemed to pass by pretty quickly. He started to wonder why, but then realized that he and Rena were all alone now. He grinned, making her jump a little.

"Keiichi-ku-- I mean, m-master..." she spoke shyly, blushing a little. The boy could feel the inside of him just leap for joy. He couldn't believe how cute someone could be when they were being forced into being someone's personal slave.

"Yes? What is it, Rena?" he asked, playing along. "U-Uhm...I know your parents are still away, so...is there anything Master would want Rena to cook specifically for dinner tonight? Is there?" she asked. He thought about it for a moment. Actually, he didn't know what he wanted for dinner that night. What would we want to eat? He decided, smiled, and patted her head.

"Surprise me." "Y-Yes, Master..."

The two walked back to the Maebara house. He let them in with his key-chain that had the sea-bear, removed his shoes with her following suit, and led the way inside. The whole time they were silent, he was thinking about what he could make her do for him. Or to him.

_No, not that!_

He mentally scolded himself, before stopping in the living room. The entire time he was thinking, she was following him. "Anything Master would like Rena to do? Anything?" she asked.

_Of course there is....There's a lot you could do for me, Rena..._

_Shut up, you damn pervert! I can't make her do something like that!_

_  
Sure you can. You won and she lost. She's your slave now._

"Uhh, there's nothing really..." he chuckled nervously, not having the guts to look back at her. "Oh? Are you sure?" she asked, and stepped toward him. Her hands were placed onto his shoulders and she moved up against him, her chest pressing into his back. Her head rested over his shoulder and she looked at him with curiousity.

"There isn't anything I can do? Anything?" she asked. He gulped, his face becoming flustered for once. He looked away a little.

_Yes, there is, my dear Rena..._

_Stop it! Stop it stop it stop it stop it!!!_

But her body is pressed up against yours...

_Stop it!!!!_

_And she's wearing that nice maid outfit....Doesn't she look adorable in it?_

_Yes, but...._

_But what?_

_But....I can't....not unless....._

_She wants to?_

_Yes.. No! No, that's not what I meant!!_

"That's not what I meant!" he spoke aloud. "Hmm? What isn't what you meant, Master?" He gasped silently and looked back over at her. She was staring at him with wide eyes, ready and willing to listen to whatever he had to say.

"I meant....uhh....What I meant was...." he sweatdropped. "Hmm?" she leaned in a bit more, a small curve of a smile forming on her lips. Her breasts were pressed into his back a little more. "Geh....What I meant...was..." he glanced away. "I...._would_ like you to do something for me...."

_Calm down, Keiichi Maebara....Keep your cool...Just say it...._

"I want.....you to feed me dessert tonight." he sighed. "Oh...Ahehe! Alright, then! If that's what you want, Master!" she beamed.

_.....you completely blew it, Keiichi Maebara....you damned fool....._

Dinner that night was delicious, as usual. Since the making dinner wasn't part of the original punishment game agreements, he allowed her a break from being a maid during dinner. At first she refused, but gave in once he said that it was an order. Dessert, however....

"Master~ Dessert is almost ready~" she called in from the kitchen. He was sitting on the couch in the living room, a bit nervous. What if he lost it? What if....what if he hurt her? Like in that other "here"? Or if he hurt her even worse than that?! He wouldn't be able to ever forgive himself.

Rena, meanwhile, was in the kitchen, preparing the desserts. Last night her dad and his girlfriend brought home some cake, so she thought it would be great to share some with him. There was a white cake with whipped cream and a strawberry on each slice, a chocolate cake with a mousse filling and sprinkles, and then there was a shortcake. She didn't know which one Keiichi would prefer, so she had brought a couple slices of each the previous night and hid them in the fridge when he wasn't looking. She put a slice of the white cake onto a plate, decorated it a little with some sticky rice she found in the fridge, and grabbed a fork.

"Okay, Master. It's time for dessert~" she called in. He took a few deep breaths to mentally prepare himself.

_Okay, Keiichi Maebara....this is it....She is going to feed you dessert now....Don't lose it...Keep your cool....Try to stay calm...._

"Kya!!" a sudden yelp followed by a small crash came from within the kitchen.

"Rena?!" he gasped and darted onto his feet. He rushed over to the kitchen, ready to offer any assistance neeed. "Are you okay--?!" he paused. As much as he told himself to mentally prepare for anything.....

.....nothing in the world could have prepared him for _this_.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Ahahahahaha~ Now then, I wonder what could've happened? D8

And I know in the last chapter I promised something would go horribly, horribly wrong. I didn't take account of the fact that things need to build up. So, in the next couple of chapters, something WILL go wrong. I promise this time.

I hope you all liked the Onikakushi-hen reference! For a lot of that part, especially with most of the speech and his thoughts, I had to replay the PC game for accuracy and irony. Hope you caught that. XD

The poem at the beginning is from Watanagashi-hen. There will be a Frederica Bernkastel poem at the beginning of every new "chapter". The last was Hatsukoi, or "First Love". This one is Haishin, or "Betrayal". Hope you all stay in tuned to find out what happens next!

Bai ni~


	5. Haishin: Misunderstanding

_Okay, Keiichi Maebara....this is it....She is going to feed you dessert now....Don't lose it...Keep your cool....Try to stay calm...._

"Kya!!" a sudden yelp followed by a small crash came from within the kitchen.

"Rena?!" he gasped and darted onto his feet. He rushed over to the kitchen, ready to offer any assistance neeed. "Are you okay--?!" he paused. As much as he told himself to mentally prepare for anything.....

.....nothing in the world could have prepared him for _this_.

"Rena!! Are you...alright?" he asked, unable to move. He couldn't believe this scene he had stumbled upon. Rena was on the floor....covered in the creamy cake.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine...I just slipped on the tile, that's all..." she blushed, recognizing her situation. Here she was, the slave, on the ground and shaking, blushing madly, wearing a maid outfit and covered in a creamy dessert. Here he was, the master, unable to do anything but stare and try to figure out what to do, only able to watch as his prize was covered in sweets.

"I'm so sorry about that...I'll clean up the mess and get you another--" she stopped. He walked over towards her without saying a word. He knelt down onto his knees, and grabbed her shoulders. His eyes examined the mess that the slave had accidentally made. The master snapped out of it, before embracing his slave.

"It's alright...I'm just glad that nothing bad happened to you...." "Kei-....Master?" she murmured. "Uhh, I'm getting cake all over your clothes!" she flustered in a panic, breaking out of his grasp. He only looked at her, wondering why she was making such a big deal out of it. Chances were, if he had lost and she won, he would've slipped and gotten cake all over the place too. There was a spot of cream on her cheek that he had been eying at for a moment. She gasped slightly as he leaned over and licked off the cream from her cheek.

"Like I said, it's alright." His hand gently cupped her cheek, his face grinning with relief. "Here." He stood up and held out a hand to help her onto her feet. She blinked, before taking his hand and standing up.

"I think you should take a shower. It'd be bad if you came home wearing a maid outfit covered in cake." She nodded before she began to hesitent. "Uh...Uhm..." He cocked his head to the side.

"I...I couldn't do that..." "Oh? Why not?" "B-Because! I am just your maid! I have no right to be using your house as though I lived in it like I was your...." she paused, too shy to keep talking. He sighed, before tossling her hair.

"How about this? I _want_ you to go take a shower." She could only stare at him. "...and that's an order." He smiled warmly, reassuring her that it was okay. She nodded again, a smile of her own forming onto her lips.

After showing her the bathroom so she could shower, he handed her a towel and her bag which had her change of clothes. He gave her a peck on the forehead before going back downstairs to clean up the cake. Most of it had fallen onto the dress she wore, so there wasn't a lot to clean up. It was a shame that the dress was ruined, but at least it was only because she fell and not because of something dangerous.

"Heh...that really was surprising, though...I never would've expected Rena to be that clumsy, even for someone as ditzy as her..." he chuckled to himself as he cleaned up the floor.

* * *

The hot water ran from the shower head over the girl's body. She stood there in the shower, not moving, staring down at her feet. The ruined dress, hat, and stockings were scattered across the floor of the bathroom. Her panties and bra weren't touched by the cake and they were just washed, so she set those aside along with the rest of her clothes.

"Keiichi-kun...." she murmured, the events that happened only moments ago replaying in a blinding fury. Her arms wrapped around herself, as if trying to hold onto something close to her. "......didn't want to touch me....." she sighed in despair, her eyes closing.

Earlier that night, she didn't mean to trip. Really. But, after she fell and the cake got all over her, she realized that it would be a chance for him to....to do what? She didn't even remember what it was she wanted at that moment anymore. What was it? What was it?! Did she want his care and attention? Did she want to be held? To be touched in a way that she would let only him touch her? What was it? What was it?!

A knock at the door brought her back from her thoughts.

"Rena? Are you okay in there?" his voice called in from the other side of the door. She suddenly felt goosebumps crawl all over her skin. "Y-Yes, I'm fine!" she called back. She had been in here for quite some time, hadn't she? It would only make sense for him to worry about her staying inside of a steaming shower for too long. After cleaning up, she turned off the water, wrapped the towel around her body, and carefully stepped out of the shower. She looked in the mirror and found it covered with steam that had settled onto it. With that steam on, she couldn't very well see, could she? One hand raised and she wiped it up. Finally, she could see her own reflection. Her own, pathetic reflection. She sighed, before something shifted in the corner of her eye. She turned her head a little, but saw nothing. Shrugging off the thought, she walked towards the maid outfit and set it aside on the counter in a neatly folded pile. She then grabbed her regular clothes and turned to remove her towel to get dressed when she suddenly heard a sound. Her entire body froze. What was that? Did she hear it? Yeah. She definitely heard it. It was there. It was really there. But what was it? It sounded like an exhale. But she was the only one in the bathroom, so that didn't make sense. Her heart began to beat again and she worked up the nerves to speak.

"H...Hello?"

_I'm sorry...._

The girl gasped sharply and quickly turned to look behind her. What was that?! A voice? Did she imagine it? No, it was there! It was there! She clung onto her clothes, holding them close against her. Someone....Someone was definitely in there...

"........H...." she tried to speak but was too shaken to do so.

_I'm sorry...._

"Who's there?!" Her voice broke free from fear's hold and finally spoke what she had wanted to say. She stepped a little bit back towards the door, waiting for a response. If they responded, then there was definitely. Someone. Else. But if not....was she mad?

"Who's there?!" she asked again, getting a bit impatient and frightened.

_I'm sorry..._

She gasped again, her eyes widening. That voice...she had heard it before, but where? No...you couldn't really call it a voice. It had no sound, no tone, nothing. It was just....there.

_I'm sorry...._

She backed away to the door, her back against it.

_I'm sorry...._

Her hand moved behind her around the door, trying to find the knob.

_I'm sorry..._

Finally, her hand wrapped around the knob and turned it. But the door wouldn't budge. Why? Why?! That's right; the door opens towards inside of the room, doesn't it?! Panicking, she stepped away from the door, swung it open, and stepped back out into the hall, turning on her heel all in one movement. However, once out into the hall, something blocked her way. It was somewhat soft, but mostly, it was firm. And, it wasn't wearing a shirt. She looked up at him, startled and blushing madly. Crap! Crap!! Not only was Keiichi standing in front of her with no shirt on...but she was only wearing a towel! Oh, of all the bad timing!!

"Rena? Are you okay?" he asked, surprise apparent on his face.

"J-J-J-J-J-J-Just f-f-f-fine, K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-Keiichi-k-k-k-k-un...!!!!" she stammered, her entire face now redder than a tomato.

"You sure? You seemed to be in a hurry to get out of there." he said. He placed a hand on her shoulder, making her jump a bit. "You sure you're okay?" "Y-Y-Y-Yeah, f-f-f-fine...!" she replied, nodding her head up and down rapidly. He smiled. "Alright, I'm glad to hear it." he pecked her forehead, then started to walk past her. "If you're finished in here, I'd like to take a shower too--" he paused in his footsteps, his shorts being grabbed at. Keiichi turned to see what was wrong. Rena had grabbed the legging of his shorts in attempts of stopping him. Her face looked up at his, carrying a pitiful, pleading expression.

"P....Please don't leave me...." she begged. He could only stare at that face. That...pleading, pathetic face.... It hurt him inside to see her that way. He turned to face her, unsure of what to say.

"Please...Keiichi-kun..." That was it. He couldn't take it anymore. Sighing, he placed a hand on top of her head and pet it a little.

"I guess it can't be helped then, can it?" he asked, a faint smile curving his lips. Without warning, his arm swooped under her and he lifted her bridal-style into his arms. She gasped, not expecting to be lifted up. Holding her tightly so as not to let her slip out of his grasp, he brought her back into the bathroom and set her down onto the counter.

"There. You can just stay there until I'm done. Is that alright?" he asked, a hand petting her head once more. "Y...You're my 'master', Keiichi-kun...remember?" she asked, glancing away from every now and then. "So...it's alright with me if...it's alright with...you..."

_No...It's not alright...._

_Shut up, you...._

_This is your chance, Keiichi Maebara! Take it! _

_No! I can't!_

_**Take it!!**_

He sighed, walking away and stepping cautiously into the wet shower. The girl on the counter watched as his sillouhette removed his shorts then his boxers, and tossed them into a hamper beside the shower. She blushed, being so close to him when he wasn't...wearing...anything....

"Hauu~" she squealed to herself. The shower began to run and steam started to fill up the room. While Keiichi was occupied with cleaning, Rena decided to get dressed. She hopped off of the counter and without removing her towel, she pulled on her panties and uniform skirt. Now came the tricky part: puting on her bra and shirt. She unwrapped her towel after facing away from the shower, in case Keiichi decided to get a free show, and grabbed her bra from the counter. She clipped it on and adjusted it until the cups were aligned with her breasts before slipping the straps onto her shoulders. Now for the shirt--

Oh, no. The shower was turned off, and Rena wasn't fully dressed yet! What to do? What to do?! He had already grabbed his towel and started to dry himself from behind the curtain. She froze, mentally panicking. What to do, what to do?!?!?!

"Ahh~ That feels so much better~" he sighed in bliss, pulling the curtain to the side. He blinked, a blank expression taking over his face. Rena was against the door, clinging her shirt to her chest. And what else but a bright red blush would be across her cheeks?

"P-P-Please don't look...!" she stammered. Apparently, she was embarrassed about her breasts. He didn't know why. They were the perfect size; not too small, not too big. Just right. Honestly, it wasn't anything to be ashamed of. He stepped out of the shower, walked over to her. She stiffened up more the closer he got, until he was directly in front of her. Her eyes shut tightly, not having the guts to look at him. She felt a pair of soft lips press against her cheek and two arms wrap around her figure.

"Rena, I promise...I won't do anything to you that you don't want me to." She looked up at him at hearing this promise. "Y...You won't?" He shook his head.

_That's a damned lie, Keiichi. You know you want to do so much right now._

_I told you to shut up. You now have no power against me. I made a promise to her. You bear witness to that._

_Oh really?_

_Yes._

_  
Then why do you hold her body so close against yours?_

_I want to keep her safe. I want to hold her so nobody else can hurt her. _

_Are you sure it's really for selfless reasons like that? You're not just doing this for your own benefits?_

_I hold her because I love her. Not because I want her._

And with that, the argument stopped. He just held her, her face nuzzling into his chest. By now, she didn't mind if she was seen in her bra. As long as it was Keiichi, she wouldn't feel ashamed.

_As long as it's...Keiichi-kun....._

* * *

_The tweets of birds singing their morning song rang throughout the bedroom. Keiichi's fluttered open, coming back to the rest of the world from sleep. Sunlight was shining in through the curtains of his window, brightening up the room only slightly. He found himself staring up at the ceiling through blurry eyes, having to blink a few times to clear his vision. His head moved up a little to look at the clock on his wall. Huh....what was today? Sunday? Well, then he wouldn't be late for school. No rush. Don't have to hurry...._

_His eyes drifted back shut and his head plopped back onto the pillow of his futon. His futon was warmer than it usually was. He wasn't going to complain, though. It was lovely kind of warmth, one that was different from the usual warmth his futon carried. Sighing happily, he rolled over a little and wrapped his arms around the bare, feminine figure that laid beside his own bare figure under the covers of the futon. He could feel every curve her body had, every spot of soft, smooth skin pressed against his body. He heard her sigh in content, and he could feel a smile on her face as she nuzzled her head into his neck._

_  
"Good morning...Keiichi-kun..." she said sleepily._

_"Good morning...Rena..." he replied in a soft murmured. His grip on her body tightened, wanting to feel her skin against his more than ever. He kissed her forehead a couple of times, trailing down to her lips, locking them in a loving morning smooch. Both of their eyes closed, he felt her arms wrap around his own body, holding him close to her as well. The insensity of their kiss grew stronger, and in the heat of the moment he rolled over a little, forcing the girl onto her back. A muffled "mmph" escaped her lips and molded into the kiss, every part of his body forced against hers. Tingles crept up his spine, their hips crashed together like this was just so..._

_  
"K-Keiichi-kun...!" she gasped, breaking the kiss. The feeling of their skin like that was probably just too much for her. His eyes opened to look down at her face, which he saw was blushing madly. "Shh, shh..." he cooed, one hand stroked the top of her head. She calmed down to a silent whimper, his head moving to her neck. She gasped sharply as their bodies were intertwined, sending shivers and goosebumps all over her body._

_"K....K-Keiichi-kun......!!" she was able to let out, her face growing even more flustered. His teeth gingerly nibbled at the tender skin of her neck and shoulder, making sure to be gentle on her body. He listened to her occassional gasp and to her heavy breathing. The heat between their bodies grew hotter as more time passed, and the atmosphere of the room became hot as well. The chirping of the cicadas and the birds faded into silence, and the only thing he was listening to were her breaths. Certainly it wouldn't hurt like the previous night, so the sounds that escaped her lips weren't of pain. She was enjoying herself, and he knew it. Her arms held him against her a little more, trying desperately to maintain composure. Over time the nibbles were replaced with gentle kisses all around her neck and chest, both of their hearts racing. He had gradually begun to go a bit faster, though not so much as to make her uncomfortable. This, he felt, was a triumph. This girl, who laid so innocently and willing in his arms, was his. All his._

_The sound of skin slowly slapping against skin, heavy pants, and the occasional groan filled the room. Having fullfilled his want of her neck and chest, his lips returned to hers, locking them together in a slightly wet manner. His tongue forced itself into her mouth, receiving an "mmph!" that vibrated throughout his throat. He could feel her nails digging into his back a little. Not that he minded. No, not one bit. Afterall, it was a sign of enjoyment. There was nothing to mind about that._

_Keiichi Maebara.......you've won._

_"Keiichi-kun....."_

_"....yes....Rena...?"_

_"Keiichi-kun...Are you feeling alright?"_

_"Of course I am....why wouldn't I?"_

_"W-Well....you're starting to sweat a little....and I think you're having trouble breathing...!" _

Realization hit him. His eyes flung open, and he found himself once again staring at the ceiling of his bedroom. Except this time, Rena was looking down at him from his side, fully clothed. It took his mind a few moments to comprehend exactly what was going on. That scene that just played in his head.....it was just a dream? A dream?! He could feel frusteration grow deep in his gut, but he had enough control to keep it from showing on his face.

"Heh...sorry for worrying you." He propped himself onto his elbows and tried giving her a reassuring smile. The look of worry never left her face. "Hauu....But you look flustered...." she placed a hand upon his forehead. "And you're warm! I don't think you should go to school today, Keiichi-kun. It looks like you have a fever..." She then stood up. "Wait right there. I'll be back with some ice." And with that, the girl left and hurried downstairs. He could only watch as she left so suddenly. Besides the funny feeling his gut had from the dream he just awakened from, he felt fine. Maybe he overdid it? Wait, something that happened last night probably did this? He tried to remember.........................but couldn't. It was a total blur. Maybe when Rena got back, he would ask her. Yeah...that sounded like a good idea. What was today again? Apparently not Sunday. They had school. Looks like Rena would be missing it, too. Oh well... A few minutes passed before Rena returned to his bedroom with an ice bag.

"Here. Lay down." she said, kneeling beside him. He laid down onto his back, and she placed the ice bag onto his forehead. "So, you...spent the night?"

"Yup! Dad wasn't home, and I couldn't just leave you all by yourself in your condition." 'In your condition'? What did she mean by that?

"Hey, Rena...what exactly happened last night?" he asked, looking at her through the corner of his eye. "You don't remember?" He shook his head.

"Well, let's see...."

_"P-P-Please don't look...!" she stammered. Apparently, she was embarrassed about her breasts. He didn't know why. They were the perfect size; not too small, not too big. Just right. Honestly, it wasn't anything to be ashamed of. He stepped out of the shower, walked over to her. She stiffened up more the closer he got, until he was directly in front of her. Her eyes shut tightly, not having the guts to look at him. She felt a pair of soft lips press against her cheek and two arms wrap around her figure._

_"Rena, I promise...I won't do anything to you that you don't want me to." She looked up at him at hearing this promise. "Y...You won't?" He shook his head. She nuzzled her head into his chest, a content smile coming onto her face._

_"Thank you...." she murmured. The two seemed to be so deep in bliss that Keiichi didn't realize it when his towel began to slip. By the time he noticed, it was already too late._

_"Keiichi-kun?"_

"Yes, Rena?"

"I think.........your towel is gone."

_"Ehh?" They looked down simultaniously. Her suspecions were confirmed. The towel was no longer there. Keiichi's manhood was exposed._

_"GAH!!!" he yelped, quickly turning away and swinging his arm down to grab the towel. "H-H-H-H-H-HAUUUUUU~!!!" Her face went brought red and swirls formed in her eyes. Some blood splurted out from her nose and knocked her back a little, the feeling of aloofness taking over._

_"K-K-K-K-Keiichi-kun's s-s-s-s-seabear is s-s-s-s-oooooooo cuuuuuuuuute...~!" she swooned. "I wanna take it hooooooome~!!!!"_

_"N-N-No, don't do thaaat!!" A panicking Keiichi responded, trying to wrap the towel around his waist as quick as he could._

_"B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-UT IT'S SOOOO C-C-C-C-C-C-CUUUUUUUUTE~!!!" she swayed, unable to maintain her balance. "Hauu, hauu, HAUUUUU~"_

_"NOOOOOO RENAAAAAA...!!!!"_

".......and then after that, you fainted. It was probably from staying in the shower for too long." she finished with a smile on her face. So. That's what happened.

Damn it....Damn it....! She saw! She definitely saw!!

"So, uhh.....you saw, huh?" he asked nervously. She nodded. "Yeah, I did. But I wouldn't make that big of a deal out of it. Even though it was so.....so.......IT WAS REALLY, REALLY CUUUUUTE~" her face suddenly went spacey and her cheeks were crimson. The thoughts of it came back into her mind, and she, unable to handle it, went hysteric. He jolted, startled by her sudden change in mood.

"Hauu~ It was soooo cute and soooo small....~"

"R-R-Rena!! I don't need to hear that!! Anything but thaaaaaaat!!!!!!"

* * *

The doorbell rang. It was around 4 o'clock. That was usually around the time club leaves school. Who could it be? It was probably Mion, asking where the hell he and Rena were. Hehe. He could imagine the look she had on her face. Rena, being Keiichi's caretaker for the day, went downstairs and answered the door.

"Oh, hello, Mii-chan~" Rena greeted. Mion looked confused.

"Huh? Rena, what're you doing here?" She cocked her head to the side. "Keiichi-kun had a fever and his mom wasn't home, so I took care of him for today." "Really....." "Yeah."

There was an awkward silence between the two. "So, uhh....how did the punishment go last night?" "Fine, I guess. I accidentally made a mess, though....Ahehehe..." she chuckled nervously. Without warning, Mion grabbed Rena's shoulders.

"A mess?! What did he make you do?!" she asked in a hurry. "Nothing big. Just the usual maid stuff...." "Rena!!! Don't you ever read novels?! What do maids usually have to do in them?!?!" Rena thought for a moment. She then began to laugh.

"Mii-chan, you think I did that?! Ahahahahahaha!!!" she laughed heartily. She eventually calmed down enough to speak. "No, it wasn't anything like that. I carried his bag home, made him dinner since his mom wasn't around, and finished the punishment game with the dessert. But, see, I accidentally dropped it and made a mess...." she explained with a weak chuckle. Mion raised an eyebrow. "I see......well, you tell Kei-chan that he had better get well soon. Or else we'll make him do punishment games whether or not he does win." she said with an evil grin. "Ahehehe, will do, Mii-chan~" Rena giggled. Mion turned to leave, but then suddenly stopped.

"Oh. By the way, Rena...." Rena was just about to the shut the door when hearing Mion stopped her.

"Yes, Mii-chan?" The older girl turned and looked at her friend.

"....I don't want anything going on between you and Kei-chan." Hearing those words made Rena's heart stop.

"W-....What?"

* * *

**Author's Note**

Be honest. How many of you were expecting the beginning? Or the middle? Or the end? XD;

I'll be honest with all of you: writing the steamy part in italics was....painful. I've never, ever written anything like that, and I don't think I will. Ever. Again. Dx

*gasp* Why would Mion say that?!

And what will this little request lead to? Kihihihihi....


	6. Haishin: Trust

"Oh. By the way, Rena...." Rena was just about to the shut the door when hearing Mion stopped her.

"Yes, Mii-chan?" The older girl turned and looked at her friend.

"....I don't want anything going on between you and Kei-chan." Hearing those words made Rena's heart stop.

"W-.....What?" She stumbled back a little from the shock, before regaining her balance.

"What did you say, Mii-chan?" "I don't want anything going on between you two. Meaning no relationships." she explained. This was the heir to the Sonozaki household. She had to speak in a comanding voice whenever she had to take charge of a situation, but....this was a different Mion than Rena had usually seen. It was like she was being completely serious for once.

"Ahehehehe...W-What would give you the idea that Keiichi-kun and I were in a relationship?" she asked, a bit unsteady in her speech.

"It's pretty obvious. I mean, first you two run off during the biggest event of the year, then you began hanging out together a lot more often, and during class, I've noticed those glances you guys sneak back towards one another." she placed a hand on her hip. "You can't hide it from me, Rena. I know...." the expression on her face softened. "....and I don't mind."

"Mii-chan?"

"Don't get me wrong, Rena. I think it's great you finally found a boyfriend, and one who's an awesome guy. But, I don't think you two should be together right now." she finished. Rena was speechless. Assuming their conversation was over, Mion turned with a "see ya later" and started to walk away.

"....why, Mii-chan...?" She stopped, hearing Rena's voice. She turned back to look at the other girl, who seemed to be on the brink of tears.

"Why? You even said that...you're happy for me...and that he's a great guy...." It was clear that she was trying not to cry. ".....and for once in a really, really long time, I've been truly happy. Truly, truly happy. So.........why?" Mion glanced away, as if unsure of how to respond to that. Rena went on, starting to gradually fall into hysteria.

"Well?! Answer me, Mii-chan! Why can't you let Rena be happy?! Why?! What's wrong with it?! Give me one good reason why!"

"Because Tomitake-san and Takano-san have been hit by Oyashiro-sama's curse."

She certainly wasn't expecting that. "W.....Wha....?!" There was....There was no way....Tomitake and Takano.....were both......?!

"The day after the festival, when Rika-chan was called away because of Chie-sensei? It was to talk to a cop named Ooishi." Mion began. "He asked her if she knew Tomitake-san and Takano-san. When she said that she did, he told her that they were the victims of this year's Watanagashi." This happened every year during the Watanagashi for the last five years: someone was killed, someone vanished. It was known throughout the village as "Oyashiro-sama's Curse". Not only could they not find the culprit of the murders, but they could not find the people who went missing. So.....this was....the fifth year....?

"Apparently....as gruesome as this sounds, Tomitake-san had clawed out his own throat with his fingernails. They think someone might've slipped him some sort of drug to make him do that, but they couldn't find anything like that." Rena froze. He died...by his own hand?!

"A-And Takano-san?"

"They don't know. She's missing right now." This couldn't be happening.....This couldn't be happening!!

"W-Why did this happen to them?! They were both good people! Tomitake-san was friendly to everybody, even to those he wasn't familiar with! And Takano-san! She was a really kind and sweet nurse! So....why them?!"

"I'm not exactly sure of the details, but....apparently, it was because they didn't completely participate in the Watanagashi." Hearing that....sent chills through Rena's skin.

"Not only did they break into the tool shed that holds Oyashiro-sama's sacred instruments of sacrifice, but they also didn't take part in the cotton-drifting part of the festival."

_No.....No...._

"They didn't clean the impurities from their bodies, and so...."

_Stop it....Stop it now, Mii-chan!!_

"....Oyashiro-sama punished them."

"Nooooo!!!!!!!" She let out a blood-curdling scream, her hands covering most of her face and she fell to her knees. "Noo!! No!!" she continued, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Not again!!!! Please, not again...!!" Mion rushed to her side, knelt down beside her, and held her tightly.

"It's okay, Rena! Oyashiro-sama won't punish you!" she said, trying to calm her down.

"But...Keiichi-kun and I...!! We didn't take part in the cotton-drifting either!!!! We're tainted! Tainted!!!" Rena's head shook violently, the tears not stopping.

"Rena! Remember what Rika-chan told you?!" She stopped shaking, and looked at the older girl. "Rika-chan told you that Oyashiro-sama won't punish you. You're a really good person, Rena. You haven't done anything bad to taint your body. You're fine, Rena. You and Kei-chan both. You're going to be okay." Mion spoke in a calm, reassuring voice.

"D....Do you think we shouldn't be together....because of this tragedy that came to us?" Mion nodded slowly. Rena sighed, wiping away the tears. "....that's fine, then...." She looked down, and stood up, Mion standing up with her. "I'll tell Keiichi-kun..."

"Rika-chan told me because Ooishi told her not to." Rena looked at her. "She didn't feel that it was right to leave me out of it, especially if it was suspected that it involved our families. Don't worry, she didn't tell Satoko. She's not a part of this. But Rika-chan told me to tell you and Kei-chan as well."

"W-Why?"

"Because you two were missing during the festival. If someone was murdered during the festival, the first thing the police are going to look for is....who was missing from it." A vivid thought came to the girl's mind.

_Tomitake-san.....on the ground.....screaming...crying, in agonizing pain. Of course, nobody is able to hear him because they've all gone home. There are no eye witnesses to this crime. What? What could be making Tomitake-san do this to himself? I can only watch as he squirms around in the dirt. Like a fish. A little, suffocating fish, flopping about madly as if it had any chance, any at all, to finding some water that would save its life. Tomitake-san is the fish. The dirt he is slowly dying on is the desert. And there is nobody else but me who could save him. I don't have the water he needs. He has no chance of surviving this. None at all. It's a pretty pathetic sight to see, a full-grown man taken down by a girl who was probably only about half his age. But it's amusing all the same. But now what? What could it be that is making Tomitake-san this way? I realize that I'm holding something in my hand. I feel around it first with my hand. It's pretty small, and probably made of some kind of glass. It feels light, so there's probably nothing in it. There's a really long and narrow end of it that's pretty sharp at the tip. What is this? I look down to see what it is that I'm holding, unable to solve the riddle of what it was just by feeling the object I have in my hand._

_A........syringe?_

_What's a syringe doing in my hand? Wait, did I do this? I did this to Tomitake-san? That's impossible. There's no way I could be the murderer, because I was with Keiichi-kun in the abandoned construction site! Yes, that's where I am right now! I'm at the construction site! Holding Keiichi-kun and being held by Keiichi-kun! So....if Rena Ryugu is at the construction site...._

_.............................................then who is it that's killing Tomitake-san?_

"I didn't do it." She stated rather bluntly. "I know you didn't. You and Kei-chan are both good people. Neither one of you would have any reason to hurt anybody." Mion said, placing a hand onto Rena's shoulder. "Ooishi is going to want to question you two since you weren't at the festival. When he tells you what happened to Tomitake-san and Takano-san, act surprised. We don't want him knowing that Rika-chan told me. Okay?"

"Okay."

Mion brought her hand back to her side, then hugged her friend. "It's okay, Rena. Everything's going to be fine. One day, all these tragedies are going to end. And then we'll all be truly, truly happy."

That was the last friendly thing Rena ever heard from Mion. After saying that it would be alright, Mion let go, waved, and walked away. Rena closed the door, before wrapping her arms around herself. She shook, fear rushing through her veins. She seemed calm in front of her friend, but only to make Mion not have to worry. In her heart, though, she was frightened, Extremely frightened. She had experienced a bit of Oyashiro-sama's punishment, back in Ibaraki, where she lived before moving back to Hinamizawa. First her mother confessed to her that she was pregnant....with another man's baby. And that she wanted to leave her father and wanted Rena to join her. She refused this offer, and started hating her mother ever since. And then there was the school. For some reason, she had suddenly grown violent when she was with three of her friends, and she beat them with a metal bat. As if spilling the blood of her friends wasn't enough, she rampaged throughout the school and broke every window. She didn't know what she was doing or why, but she knew that, somehow, it was because of......

_I'm sorry....._

She gasped and turned sharply to look behind her. The only things she could see were the kitchen, the living room, and the stairs that led up to Keiichi's bedroom, where he was sleeping. Nobody else was there. Nobody.

"......Oyashiro-sama.....?" she asked in a faint, shakey voice. She got no reply. All there was was silence. Not wanting to take any chances, she hurried back up to the stairs and to Keiichi's bedroom. She had to tell him that Mion said....

"Oh, hey, Rena. Who was at the door?" his voice asked as she opened his bedroom door and walked in. "Hmm? Oh. It was MIi-chan." she replied, shutting the door behind her. She walked over to his futon and sat down beside him. "Mion? What did she want?" he asked, sitting up. He was feeling better, actually. Under Rena's care, he had recovered to full health.

"Mii-chan.......doesn't want us to be together."

"......What?"

"I asked her why, and she said.....that it would be the most appriopriate thing for us to do right now." she looked down. She felt an arm wrap around her shoulder. She looked at him, and saw the caring expression he held on his face.

"Whatever the circumstances, I don't agree with Mion's reasoning. We're together, and that's something that should be kept, not something thrown away just because someone told us to. Besides...." he grinned his usual boyish grin. "...who is she to tell us that we should break up? There's nothing wrong with us being together, so why shouldn't we be together? Right?"

"Yeah...." she smiled weakly. "Yeah....you're right...." she hugged him tightly, and he kissed her forehead.

* * *

The next day, Mr. and Mrs. Maebara returned home from Tokyo. They greeted the two teenagers and thanked Rena for taking care of Keiichi. After saying their "good-byes", Rena left with everything: her school uniform, the containers she left at his house, and of course, the maid outfit. She didn't want his parents questioning their time alone in that house. That wouldn't be good. At all. On the way home, a car pulled up onto the side of the road near her. The driver's window rolled down, and a voice called out to her.

"Excuse me, miss. Are you Rena Ryugu?"

The voice was hoarse, and it sounded pretty old. It belonged to man. She turned to face the man in the car, who was a few meters away.

"Uhh, yes. I'm Rena Ryugu. Who are you?" she called back. "My name's Ooishi, and I work with the Okinomiya Police Department." She froze. This was that Ooshi cop that Mion told her about. "I'd like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind." He was probably going to question her about the incident during the Watanagashi. No, not probably. Of course he was going to! Why else would he show up and ask for her specifically? She walked towards the car and looked at the driver from outside.

"No, I don't mind. Why? What it is about?" she asked, pretending to be clueless.

_Don't act too calm when he tells you, Rena....it'd make it obvious that Mii-chan told you. And she'd be in big trouble if this man finds out that she knows._

"Why don't we talk in my car? It's pretty hot out today, and my car as air conditioning." he offered, a friendly smile on his face. She was silent for a moment, before nodding and climbing into the back passenger seat of the car. He rumaged through a few things and pulled out a slip of paper.

"Do you know this man?" he asked, handing it back to her. She took it. It was a picture of Tomitake. "Yes, I do. He's Tomitake-san. He comes down a few times a year to take some pictures." she explained. "Very well. Then, do you know this woman?" He handed her another picture. She took it. It was a picture of Takano. "This is Miss Takano...she's a nurse at the Irie Clinic, a few minutes away from here. Why? Did something happen to them?" she asked.

"..........Well......you see......these two are both dead."

She gasped. This information was new. She knew of what happened to Tomitake, but.....Takano?!

"W-.....What do you mean?"

"Jirou Tomitake. That man you see in the picture you're holding? He died on the night of the festival by clawing out his own throat." he explained. No matter how many times she would hear that, Rena couldn't help but cringe at the thought. Your own nails scratching at the delicate skin on your neck. Scritch, scritch.... Scritch Scritch.... Your nails keep digging until you break through to the blood vessels, those precious blood vessels, in your neck. And you bleed to death.

"And....Takano-san?" Mion told her that Tomitake was dead. But she said that Takano was missing. So.....she died too?

"We found her body in the mountains. It was burned until the only thing left was the skeleton." No way....That can't be...!!!

She covered her mouth and almost retched. A body, burning to a crisp, in the mountains where nobody could see you. The flesh being engulfed by the flame, the blood boiling under the heat. She could only imagine the stench that such an act would cause. Who could do that? Who could possibly do that to another person?!

"Uhh, about Tomitake-san....What could possibly make someone do that to themselves?" She didn't need to ask. She already knew the answer. Some drug the police couldn't find, right?

"We think he might have been on some drugs. But....when we ran a bunch of tests, nothing. Everything was negative." So Mion was speaking the truth. About the drugs, at least.

"However, there's something odd about Tomitake's body...." Besides the throat being torn up by his own fingers?! ".....there are bruises and other marks of assault all over his body. Apparently, there were multiple attackers." ..................................he was assaulted?! By more than one person?!

"So we need to know your alibi. We understand that you and a Keiichi Maebara were both missing during the festival, right?" So that's it. He really did suspect them afterall. It was a good thing they were both together, then. They're stories would be exactly the same.

"Keiichi-kun and I....like you said, we weren't at the festival. Not during the cotton-drifting at least." she began. He listened intently. "We participated in almost everything else, though. We celebrated at the stalls and everything. Mii-chan saw us, and since our school club usually goes together, she got kind of mad at us. So we left. Mii-chan probably lost us in the crowd, because she stopped chasing us."

"And by 'Mii-chan', are you referring to Mion Sonozaki?"

"Yes."

"I see. Go on."

"Keiichi-kun and I left the festival. Earlier that evening, he won a big stuffed animal for me. So to return the favor, I showed something of mine that I've never shown to anybody else. Not even Mii-chan."

"Oh? What would that be?"

"........my secret hiding place."

"Secret hiding place?"

"Yes. It's in the abandoned construction site. I go there on a regular basis to look for things that I can took home. I collect cute things, so I look for things like that there."

"Ahh. So to clarify, you and Maebara-san were both in the construction site at the time of the murder?"

"Yes."

"And you didn't partake in the cotton-drifting?"

"....no. We didn't. We lost track of time and we missed it."

"I see. Then Ryugu-san, I hate to inform you that you might be next."

"Next?"

"You and Maebara-san. Neither one of you partook in the cotton-drifting, a sacred part of the festival. Jirou Tomitake and Miyo Takano didn't partake in the cotton-drifting either, and so--"

"You think the villagers attacked them because of that?"

"Well, when you put it that way.....yes." She smiled a bit confidently.

"Keiichi-kun and I don't have anything to worry about."

"Oh?"

"When we returned to the festival, we realized that we missed the cotton-drifting. I, already experiencing something caused by Oyashiro-sama, knew what kind of punishment would befall onto the two of us, and I started to panic. But then Rika-chan, Rika Furude, told me that I shouldn't worry. She said, 'it's alright, good sir. You haven't done anything bad this year, so Oyashiro-sama will forgive you'."

"So you think that because you didn't do anything bad this year, the villagers will let you off the hook?"

"Not the villagers. It's Oyashiro-sama! He exists! I know, because I've received punishment from him before!"

"Punishment? For what?" She glanced away and sighed.

"I was born and raised here in this town. But when it was time for me to enter elementary school, my mother's job forced us to move to Ibaraki. As a resident of the area, Ooishi-san, I expect you would know of the rule this town has?"

"Yeah. 'None shall enter, None shall leave'. So you were punished because you left?"

"Yes. And after an incident occurred...." she paused. ".....between me and my mother, my father and I moved back here." She looked up at him. "And that's all I'm going to tell you. Keiichi-kun and I are both innocent." Rena moved towards the door.

"My father is probably wondering where I am, so I must go now."

"Very well, then. I'll have a chat with this Keiichi Maebara to see if your stories are straight. Good day to you, Ryugu-san." She opened the door and stepped out, shutting the door behind her. He rolled up his window and drove off. Rena watched as he drove away.

_Foolish Ooishi-san.....No matter how many times you question me or Keiichi-kun, our stories will remain the same. Question him all you want, you won't be getting a different story from mine. Because what I said of our whereabouts......_

She started to walk towards her house.

_............is the truth._

* * *

**Author's Note**

Grah!!! Sorry this chapter isn't as long as the others! I have failed you! D8

*mourns*

Kihihihi.... How many of you were expecting Mion to tell Rena not to date Kei-chan because she loves him? That was my original intent, but then I was like "Nawh, that wouldn't be a good enough reason. And I've been neglecting Tomitake's and Takano's murders. So...! 8D"

Here's a little spoiler: The next chapter is called "Katai" (Mistake), and the first sub-chapter of that is "Confrontation". When there's a fight, there can only be violence. And when there's a fight in Higurashi, there can only be epic violence. Who's gonna fight? Who's gonna win? Die? I wonder, I wonder?

Ahahahahahaha.....

*shot*


	7. Katai: Confrontation

I was the most unfortunate.

I knew that there was no exit out of this maze.

Then, he was the next most unfortunate.

He did not know that there was no exist out of this maze.

But all the rest weren't so unfortunate.

They didn't know that they were in the maze in the first place.

* * *

_.......Hey you. It's been a while, hasn't it?_

_All_ _the rest are starting to wonder what's going on. They're asking me, "When is this person you always speak of going to arrive?" I have to keep responding, "Soon, my friends. They will be here very soon. Just wait a little longer. Just a little longer. And then we can go on into the next world together."_

_At first I was the only one who knew. Then one day, someone came by and asked, "What are you doing?" I replied, "I am waiting." They asked, "What are you waiting for?" I answered, "That 'someone' whose voice I heard. They sounded sad, lost, and alone. So I am here waiting for them, so they will know that they are forgiven." Then that person stood by my side and waited with me._

_The next day, someone came by and asked, "What are you two doing?" We replied, "We are waiting." They asked, "What are you two waiting for?" We answered, "That 'someone' whose voice we heard. They sounded sad, lost, and alone. So we are here waiting for them, so they will know that they are forgiven." Then that person stood by my side and waited with us._

_The next day, someone came by and asked, "What are you three doing?" We replied, "We are waiting." They asked, "What are you three waiting for?" We answered, "That 'someone' whose voice we heard. They sounded sad, lost, and alone. So we are here waiting for them, so they know that they are forgiven." Then that person stood by my side and waited with us._

_The next day, someone came by and asked, "What are you four doing?" We replied, "We are waiting." They asked, "What are you four waiting for?" We answered, "That 'someone' whose voice we heard. They sounded sad, lost, and alone. S we are here waiting for them, so they will know that they are forgiven." Then that person laughed._

_"You four are waiting for someone you've never even met? How foolish! If that person is sad, lost, and alone, then they will remain sad, lost, and alone! They will not wish to have the company of anybody else but their own silence! Your efforts of showing forgiveness are useless, so stop waiting and go home." Then that person left, laughing. That laugh sounded so cruel. I wanted to shut that person up, for good. How dare they mock us for wanting to lead someone to a happy place. How dare they crush our hopes of showing someone forgiveness!_

_.....but that person was right._

_Someone who is sad, lost, and alone would not wish to have the company of anybody else but their own silence. They wish to bury themselves, punishing themselves for whatever it is they've done. Is that the case with you? Are you like this to punish yourself?_

_...........no. That's not it._

_It's that witch. That "she" you speak of that is gone. "She" has placed a spell onto your mind and made you think that you are sad, lost, and alone. But I know that you're not. You're not sad, lost, and alone. You're happy, found, and with friends. Us. We're your friends. _

_And we're waiting._

* * *

A few days had passed since Rena was questioned by Ooishi. She hadn't seen him since. So, maybe after questioning Keiichi, he gave up on the two? Maybe after hearing both of their stories, he decided they had nothing to do with what happened to Tomitake and Takano? Maybe....

Life had mostly gone back to normal. The children were all laughing again, so everyone probably forgot about Tomitake's and Takano's disappearance. There was a rumor that the two had eloped, but Rena knew that that wasn't the case. They were dead. Both of them, were dead. That frightening mental image she got when Mion first told her about Tomitake haunted her. Someone....Someone had delibirately hurt Tomitake. And they did so with some mysterious drug, most likely. But she was unsure, since the police weren't able to find any in Tomitake's body. Does a drug like that even exist?! And then there was the fact that many people had assaulted him. This wasn't just some nervous or mental breakdown; this was murder. Then there was Takano. For reasons unknown, the culprit brought her body up to the mountains and burned it. This was different from the other incidents involving the Watanagashi. In the other ones, one person was missing and never found. But this year, both persons that fell victim to the curse were found. This was no curse. This was murder.

_This was definitely murder.....but who in the world would want to do that to Tomitake-san and Takano-san.....?_

"Rena? You still with us?" A voice brought her back from her thoughts. Rena had been staring out the window, spacing out and pondering about the events that happened recently. She looked to the voice, and saw that it was Keiichi that spoke.

"Oh...yeah. Sorry about that. I kinda spaced...." she chuckled nervously. "Are you alright? You've been like this for a few days now." he asked, concern in his voice. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just some stuff that's going on. Nothing big." she replied. She was at the school, and it was afternoon recess. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice the time or the fact that everyone had pushed their desks together into their usual lunch groups.

"Okay, but if something's going on, you know you can talk to us about it, right?" he asked. "Yeah. I know." she smiled, then looked out the window.

_I know......._

The day passed by as usual. The afternoon bell rang and almost everyone went home. It was time for the club games. As expected, Mion won and Keiichi lost. The punishment? He was to dress like a kitty maid and speak like a little brother. The rest of the group realized that Rena wasn't into the game like she usually was when she didn't freak out about Keiichi wearing the maid outfit. That always sent her into hysterics, her face blushing and cooing "Hauu, Hauu, Hauu~" and even had a few attempts of taking him home. But today, she just laughed and said that he would have to do better next time.

"Rena? You sure you're alright?" Mion asked as the three were walking home. "Yeah, Mii-chan. I'm fine. Why?" "You're pretty mellow. I mean, you're not even trying to take Kei-chan home."

"I would think that's a good thing, isn't it...?" he growled under his breath at the older girl. Rena just smiled faintly. "Well....Like I said, there's just some things going on right now that are occupying my mind. I'll be back to normal soon. I promise." she smiled brightly, as if to reassure her worried friends.

"Alright....I'll see ya guys tomorrow, okay?" Mion said, before waving "good-bye" and running off down the path towards her house. Keiichi sighed, before the two continued on their way.

"Alright, Rena. Really. What's going on?" he asked. Rena looked at him, as if confused. "You've been looking down these past couple of days. Is something going on at home?" She shook her head. "No, nothing big. I'll work it out myself, okay? I'll be fine." she giggled and pecked his cheek. He gave her an unsure look, before giving up and grinning.

_Rena will tell me when she's ready. I know she will...._

The boy in the rather.....interesting....maid outfit walked the girl home. He pecked her forehead before hurrying back to his house before his parents saw him. Could one imagine how horrible that would be? She pictured it in her mind and giggled. But enough of that. She had something she had to do. Rena opened the door to her house, stepped in, and shut the door behind her as she kicked off her shoes. She left her bag by the shoeshelf and hurried to her father's study.

A few days ago....she witnessed something awful.

_"Reina-chan?" her father asked. "Could you do me a favor?" He was in his bedroom, getting ready to leave._

"Yes, Papa! What is it?" she asked. She would do anything for her Papa. She loved him. And he certainly didn't betray their family like her mother did. How she hated that woman.

_"Papa has to go out of town for some business deals for a little while. Could you run some errands for me while I'm gone?" he asked, packing his suitcase. "Of course! What do you need me to do?" He listed off the things he needed to be done. First off, there was obviously the grocery shopping. Next, the mail, then she had to bring in their kitchen knives to the pawn shop. They would be getting a new set in about a week. Also, there was something she had to pick up. A couple of jackets, huh? What ever for?_

_"Uhm, Papa....Did Rina-san ask you to buy the jackets?" she asked a bit shyly. "Hmm? Oh, yes. She did. She has a very good sense of fashion, and she thought the jackets were just perfect for us." he explained, smiling. "Huh...." "Oh, and there's one more thing." She tilted her head._

"There's a bunch of junk out by the side yard. The garbage truck is going to pick it up this weekend. Could you make sure they get it?"

_"Y...Yeah...Did...Did Rina-san tell you to throw it out too?" "Uhh, yeah....We're going to be doing some refurnishing, so we have to get rid of some things." he clarified. A bit of sadness came into her heart. She had seen that pile of "junk" on her way home from school that day. _

_And most of it were treasures that she found at the construction site._

_He left the next morning, leaving Rena home by herself. "Rina's going to be stopping by to stay with you later on and make sure that you're alright. Be good, I'll miss you~" he called back to her as he pulled out of their driveway and left. After school, she said that she had some chores to do and couldn't stay for club. She took her bike to Okinomiya and found the clothing store her dad told her to go to pick up the jackets. She would go grocery shopping on the way home._

"I'm sorry, Miss. The orders haven't arrived yet. Our delivery truck is stuck in traffic, so it'll be a few extra minutes." the clerk apologized.

_"I see...."_

"If you like, you can stay in the area until the shipment comes." she offered. "I'll do that. Thank you." Rena bowed and left the store. She saw a cafe a few buildings away, and thought to get some refreshments. She was seated at a small table, and looked around the cafe. Her attention was suddenly called to a booth that was a couple of tables away from her.

_"You bastards! I said you had to return all of the money!" a gruff voice scolded. Rena looked over her shoulder towards the booth, and could see some people. Two men were bowing their heads and begging for forgiveness. There was a blonde man scowling at them. Why did she think that he reminded her of someone she knew? Was he a relative of a friend or something? And then there was a woman next to the blonde man. But the backing of the booth's frame blocked Rena's vision, and so she couldn't make out very many features of her._

"Ritsuko, how much is there?" he asked the woman. "Just the amount I lended them." she sounded disappointed. And very, very familiar.....

_"We're sorry, Miss! W-We just ran out of time! We couldn't get the interest!" one man pleaded._

_"'Sorry' ain't gonna cut it! See, this woman is like a part of me. You screw around with her, you're screwing around with me, too. Remember that!" he said, sending the other two males shaking. He got up from the booth, saying that he had to use the bathroom, and vanished down the hall. _

_"....here. You can take another loan to pay back the other. I know you'll just be owing us some again, but it'll be enough to get him off of your back, at least for a little while...." she handed them a pen and a check. "...right?"_

_"If I were you boys, I'd sign that thing." The blonde man had returned, giving them an intimidating look. Startled, the men grabbed the pen and signed. Rena couldn't believe she was witnessing this. A waitress came by and asked if she would like anything to drink. Shaken out of her concentration on the booth, Rena quickly picked up the menu and looked at the drinks. "Uhh...some apple soda, please." "Very well. It'll be out shortly." The waitress bowed and left. Rena turned back towards the booth. The blonde man was getting kind of close to the woman._

_  
"So, Ritsuko...How're things going with your Hinamizawa hubby? Think we can get a lot out of him?" he asked with a sneer. "Oh, definitely. The guy is loaded! I hear that when his wife divorced him, she felt guilty for leaving him and their kid, so she left him a bunch of compensation money." the woman replied. He pulled the woman close. "So, how are we gonna get the money squeezed out of him?" he asked. Rena could sense that the woman smirked a demon's smirk._

_"I'll get really close to him, and then when things are going along just fine, you'll come in and start to harrass him. We'll make him pay you to stay off of his back until we're satisfied." she said. He chortled. "We all know that's never gonna happen....Ahehehehe..." _

_The two men finished signing, and the booth left to pay for their meal. While Rena was staring at them, the waitress had returned with her drink and left it on her table. Finally, she could see the woman who was with the man. She froze, petrified._

_...........oh no.......That's not....! It can't be......!!_

_She watched as Rina paid the clerk for their meal. A big man walked into the restaurant, holding the door open for the blonde man and the two people they were blackmailing. Rina, who must have recognized the man, bowed and walked out the door. That woman.......she was going to harrass her Papa into giving them money!! And her Papa was so into her that he would do it for their happiness! That happiness wasn't ever going to come! She was just going to leave him after getting the money!_

_......she's worse than Mama!!!_

* * *

Rena threw open the door to her father's study and ran in. She opened a drawer that was on his desk and pulled out a metal box with a lock. She scrolled through the numbers with the combination and opened the box. Inside were some stacks of money and some check books. The cash was still there, but what about the checks? She rumpaged through some of them and saw that there were quite a few withdrawals in amounts that were nothing to sneeze at. Rena had checked on these every day ever since she witnessed that scene in the cafe, and everyday a little was taken out. But today.....there was a lot! That woman was stealing from her father! This was proof! She shoved the check books back into the box and slammed it shut.

"Damn it!!!" she screamed. She was surprised to hear such a word like "damn" come out of her mouth, but only a little. It was amazing how anger could change the way you spoke. Shaking off that thought, she returned the box back into the drawer, shut it, and went up to her room. There was no school tomorrow, so maybe she could sleep in and hope that Rina-- no, Ritsuko-- _that woman_ wouldn't be there in the morning. She knew something was off about her. Maybe it was her clothes, or her make-up, or maybe something else that gave her that feeling, but Rena definitely knew that something was wrong with her. She collapsed onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling, wondering what to do. She knew now that this woman was up to no good, but....

"...but Papa is so happy...." she stopped herself there. "No, Rena! He's not happy! He's not truly happy if he's being tricked by someone like _that_!"

"By someone like what, Reina-chan?" She jolted, startled by the voice that spoke from her doorway. She sat up and saw Rina standing there. She was wearing a smile on her face. But Rena didn't smile back. There was no need to when a smile was fake.

"Do you talk to yourself a lot?" she asked, walking towards the girl. "You know, I hear that people who talk to themselves tend to be a lot smarter than other people." she sat on the side of her bed. "Is...that so?" Rena fidgeted a little. Rina frowned slightly.

"Reina-chan...do you like me?" That caught her by surprise. "Uh...why?" Rena asked. "Well, you see...You know that your father and I have been going out for sometime now. We've been discussing things, and we both think that it's time for us to take our relationship seriously. Like, maybe saying a couple of 'I do's, and perhaps even giving you a little sister or brother....Things like that."

_"Reina-chan, do you like Akihito-san?"_

_  
"Uh....why?"_

_"Let me ask you this instead: who do you like more? Mama or Papa?"_

"Mama~!"

_"Then, if Mama and Papa were to live in different houses, who would you rather live with?"_

"Uhm...."

"I'm asking, because you see...Mama was thinking about leaving Papa and living with Akihito-san."

"W-Wha??!"

_"I'm...I'm pregnant, Reina-chan. With Akihito-san's baby."_

"I'm not going to let you do that, Rina-san." Rena stated as-a-matter-of-factly. Rina looked shocked. "I used to be able to tolerate you going out with my dad....but now that I know, marriage is _definitely_ out of the question." Hearing that, Rina began to laugh.

"Ahahahaha!! I was expecting some sort of objection, but I never thought you would be this blunt!" Rena frowned.

"So you knew I wasn't going to accept it, but you asked anyway. How'd you figure that out?" Rina looked smug. "It was kind of obvious. You never looked me in the eye whenever we were together, and when you did you wanted to leave. So....what about me don't you like?" she asked. Rena stood up and backed away a little, not able to stand being near her.

"Honestly, it's everything! I don't like your clothes, or your make-up, and you kinda smell funny!" Rena glared at her. Rina stood up as well, and Rena backed away a few more steps.

"Then I'll tell you what I don't like! You're always trying to act cute, you're into the weirdest things and you always bring junk home! I swear, you're the weirdest person I've ever met! But now I'm glad we were able to have this little talk, because now you know how much I hate you!! Ahahahahaha!!" she laughed. Rena took another step back. Rina raised an eyebrow. "Reina-chan....are you afraid of me?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Because you keep backing away from me....is something wrong?" she asked in a somewhat taunting tone. "...yes. And it's you." Rina blinked. "I know what you're planning. I saw you in a cafe in Okinomiya with a man, and you were blackmailing two other people. I heard you talking about my Papa and the man you were with called him your 'Hinamizawa hubby'. I heard you plotting how to take money from him and that you're going to harrass him to do it! You're only with my Papa because of his money, but I won't let you stay with him! I'm not going to let you get away with what you did to other people!" Rena promised. Rina looked.....amused. Seeing that look on her face disgusted Rena.

"....get out of my house. Now." she growled. Rina laughed again. The girl watched as the woman laughed. That laugh....it was so annoying. "Ahahahaha...! So...." she finally stopped. "...you know everything, huh, Reina-chan? About me and our 'plans'?" she looked like she was about to laugh again, but then suddenly grew scary. Her face became distorted in anger and she slapped the girl's left cheek.

"Kya!" Rena squeaked, stumbling to the ground from the force of the slap. She placed her left hand onto her cheek, the heat radiating off. She knew her cheek was red now, and it would probably leave a bruise. A hand roughly grabbed the top of her head, pulling on her hair.

"You little....!You're way too nosey for your own good!" Rina shouted, and slapped her again. She dropped the girl onto the ground and watched her shake in pain as she walked around her. Rina bent down and grabbed the back of Rena's uniform collar, and dragged her down the hall. Rena struggled to get back onto her feet, but could only do so for a few seconds at a time.

"Who are you to be spying on me?! Hasn't your dear Pappy taught you how to respect your elders?!" she growled loudly. The next thing she knew, Rena was thrust down the stairs. She tumbled down the wooden steps, crying out in pain here and there. Finally, she reached the ground. The solid, straight ground. Bruises were all over her body, but other than that, she was amazingly fine. Her relief was short-lived, as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She gasped, looking up. Rina was coming down to beat her some more...! What to do?! What to do?!

Rena scrambled up to her feet, almost slipping on the wooden floor as she ran for the kitchen. There had to be a weapon in there! Every kitchen had a knife, or something!

"And where do you think you're going?!" She heard Rina's voice yell from the next room. Her eyes scanned the kitchen....damn it, where were they?! She remembered. She had to bring them into the pawn shop a few days ago.

_Damn it, Rena!! You're so stupid!! You forgot that you had to bring those in! And now you're completely defenseless!! Stupid! Stupid!!!_

"There's no use trying to hide in the kitchen, Reina-chan! You're completely trapped there!" Rina walked into the kitchen and suddenly was hit over the head. The woman fell to the ground and the girl ran out of the kitchen. While trying to find a weapon, Rena had grabbed a frying pan that happened to be on the stove and she waited for Rina to walk in.

"Augh! Damn it! You little...!" Rina growled as Rena ran out. Where was it...Where was her cleaver?! She could use that to intimidate Rina and get her to leave her house-- no, leave Hinamizawa entirely! Now where was it?! She stopped.

"The pile outside...!" she thought aloud. She ran towards the door and swung it open, hurrying to the pile that was supposed to be taken out in a couple of days. The sky was dark with heavy rainclouds overhead. The wind was beginning to pick up a little. But even so, Rena didn't stop digging through the pile. There was some broken furniture that was being replaced, some random objects she found during her multiple visits at the construction site, and her beloved Kenta-kun doll with a missing arm that she and Keiichi dug out some time ago. But, there was no cleaver!! She usually left it with her treasures, so....where could it be?!

"Looking for _this_?" Rena gasped and spun around. Rina stood a few meters away, holding......Rena's cleaver. "I found this while throwing out that massive pile of junk and thought it would serve some use later on. Like maybe chopping some wood..." she took a step closer. "....or some limbs...." Crap....This wasn't good! Rena's heart was pounding at an increasing rate. The wind was blowing harder now, and the sky had grown even darker. She tried running back inside in hopes of locking the woman out, but was quickly blocked. Rina was getting closer.

"You didn't think that I would let you live once you told me that you know everything, did you?" Rina growled. Rena backed away and tripped over her own feet, falling to the ground. Here she was, cornered by her own weapon. Thunder boomed and a flash of lightning lit up the yard, before it began to drizzle. "Believe me, killing you wasn't originally part of the plan. But since you found out, I'm afraid I have no choice." One step closer. "Sorry kid, but I don't think I'll ever find a juicy sucker like your sweet Pappy again. But I guess killing you won't really matter, since I was planning on leaving once I got the money anyway." Why was she telling her this?!

"Your Pappy will wonder where you went. What should I tell him? Oh, I know. You were sick of me being around so you ran away. You ran away and don't ever wanna be seen ever again. That sounds nice, doesn't it?" Another step closer. Rena shook, staring wide-eyed up at the woman with her weapon. She was now a few feet in front of the girl. The weapon was firmly grasped in her hand, and she swung it high above her head, ready to swing down. Lightning flashed behind her. What to do?! What to do?!?!?!?!?!

................her world went white.

* * *

After what seemed like forever, vision returned to her. The sky was still dark. It was still raining. How much time passed? Judging by how wet her clothes her, maybe not even a minute. What happened just now? Where was she? Did she doze off on her bed and dream up everything that happened? And, while she was dreaming, was she sleep walking? Did she sleep walk her way out here in the rain?! She thought about that for a moment. Then laughed.

"Ahahahahaha!! Yeah, that's what happened! I was sleep walking! Ahahahahahaha!!!!" she laughed hysterically.

_..........no. That's not it. Don't lie to yourself, Rena. You know what happened._

"Ahahahaha.....What do you mean? It's simple! I was just sleep walking out here! Or maybe I was just spacing out! Yeah, that's it! I was spacing out! Ahahahahahaha!!!...."

_...................were you really?_

"Y-Yeah....Ahahaha....I was just spacing......hahaha.....out......ahahaha....aha...." Her laughs were growing weaker.

_...........look up, Rena._

At the moment, she was on her hands and knees, for reasons unknown. Her knees were a little scraped, and she could see bruises forming on her legs and arms. That...was from when she fell down the stairs...right? So then.....what happened was......

She looked up and froze on the spot. With the sky being dark, she could only make out shapes and shadows. But it was enough for her to see the picture her subconsious was trying to show. Time slowed down and froze as well as she stared at the scene in front of her. There was the pile of junk.......the random objects she found during her multiple visits at the construction site.......her beloved Kenta-kun doll with a missing arm that she and Keiichi dug out some time ago............and.........Rina............

...................................................was impaled upon a piece of broken furniture that was sticking out.

"W....What....happened.....?" she gasped shakily.

.............................................

_"Your Pappy will wonder where you went. What should I tell him? Oh, I know. You were sick of me being around so you ran away. You ran away and don't ever wanna be seen ever again. That sounds nice, doesn't it?" Another step closer. Rena shook, staring wide-eyed up at the woman with her weapon. She was now a few feet in front of the girl. The weapon was firmly grasped in her hand, and she swung it high above her head, ready to swing down. Lightning flashed behind her. What to do?! What to do?!?!?!?!?!_

_Think, Rena! Think!! Your life depends on it!!!! _

_Her breaths turned short and rapid, her eyes widening even more as she failed to come up with a solution. She then realized something: Rina wasn't used to carrying that heavy cleaver like Rena was. Maybe.....if Rena.........then Rina would be.......yes....that seemed like it would work._

_"I'll show you who you're messing with!!!!!!!!!!" Rina's scream echoed to the heavens. Acting on a whim, Rena scrambled up to her feet and extended her arms out in front of her. They pushed against Rina's stomach, sending her backwards. The woman tried to regain balance, but was kept thrown off of it due to the weight she held so high above her head. The ground was slippery because of the rain, causing the woman to slip. The wet ground, along with the cleaver's weight, sent Rina falling backwards._

_And onto the sharp, broken leg of a chair that happened to be sticking out._

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Rena screamed, trying to scramble back away from the body. "NOO!!! NO!!! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!!!" she cried frantically, shaking her head violently in denial. The part of her memory when Rina's body was stabbed by the chair leg replayed over and over again in her mind.

_The flesh was torn from the inside. Blood splurted out and onto the soil. A part of Rina's intestine was flung out as well. It was all so vivid and graphic. And frightening. But what became of the cleaver? What was it? It was still in her hand. Her cold, dead hand. The gap in Rina's stomach was pretty big. It was certainly enough to kill her._

_That's right, Rena......you did.....you did kill her......_

"Nooo!! NOO!!! I didn't want things to be like this!!!! I don't want to be a murderer!!!" she cried.

_But you are. You killed her. Your hands are tainted now. _

"No....! No.....!!" she shook her head again, trying to shut up the voice inside her head. "The police!! I have to get the police!!!" she hurried onto her feet, careful not to slip on the mud.

_No, Rena! Don't!_

She stopped abruptly in her steps.

_You don't want to be a murderer? Then you can't let your sin be known._

She glanced over at the body.

_......you have to hide it._

Rena stared intently at the body of the woman that tried to kill her. She trailed her gaze down to the cleaver the corpse held in its hand.

"..................yeah."

* * *

**Author's Note**

Whoo! Finally! Some violence in a Higurashi story!! I'm feeling pretty happy about this one. :3

I'll tell you guys something: originally, my plan was to have Rena and Rina get into a fight upstairs and while Rina was calling Rena's father, Rena would push her down the stairs and Rina would have her head cracked open, but then I changed it at the last minute while I was writing this. Of course, I also originally planned for Rena and Kei-chan to actually **do "it"** so Rena could get **pregnant, **but as you can see I changed my mind. Nyahahaha~

I hope you enjoy this chapter. Oh, in one of the reviews I got earlier today, they said that they missed the little opening in italics where someone was talking to somebody else. I'll admit, I kinda missed those too. I enjoy making the characters crazy and having them talk to nobody in particular. Kihihihi....

Enjoy~


	8. Katai: Sorrow

_I wonder how life will be when you arrive. I'll tell you what I think. I think the days will be a lot brighter. The sun will want to shine more. The flowers will bloom more beautifully than they usually do. The birds will sing a happy song. There will never be a day where a cloud hides everything in darkness. It will never rain that dreary rain. The sky will never be depressing. We'll be able to look up and see how blue it really is. And we'll be able to smile, because we've seen it._

_Doesn't that sound nice?_

_I wonder how life will be when youa rrive. I'll tell you what I think. I think night will grow cooler. The darkness will not be scary. We will show no fear when the sun goes down and leaves everything in black. We will accept the night with open arms. There will be no evil hiding in the shadows. Because finally, the stars will come out and light the way. They'll come back and twinkle. They'll dance and shine and show what was hidden. The night will never be scary. We'll be able to look up and see how bright the night sky really is. And we'll be able to smile, because we've seen it._

_Doesn't that sound nice?_

_I wonder how life will be when you arrive. I'll tell you what I think. I think my dreams will be more calming. I'll be able to sleep peacefully, lost in a world of happiness and joy. I wonder how long it's been since I've experienced something like that. It's been quite a while, to be sure. When I close my eyes to sleep, I will not fear. My nightmares will not daunt me. They will not embrace my being in claws and hold me down and tear me up from the inside. My nightmares will vanish into nothingness. And they'll be replaced with blissful sleep. I'll be able to look up and finally see tomorrow. And I'll be able to smile, because I've seen it. _

_Do you wonder how life will be when you arrive? Do you think the days will be brighter? Do you think you'll be able to smile as you look up at the bright blue sky? Do you think the nights will be cooler? Do you think you'll be able to smile as you look up at the stars shining bright? Do you think your nightmares of that 'her' that no longer exists will finally, finally, let you rest? Do you think you'll be able to smile, because you've seen tomorrow? I guess the question isn't, "What do you think life will be like when you arrive?" I think the question is...._

_...."What do you think life will be like **if** you arrive?"_

* * *

The doorbell rang. Rena, in a panic, ran downstairs to answer the door. The person ringing the bell was a neighbor. She was kind of elderly, but a really sweet old woman. What was she doing here in the middle of the rain?

"Rena-chan, is everything alright?" the old neighbor asked. Rena tilted her head. "What do you mean?" She folded her arms across her chest. "Well, a little while ago, my husband and I heard you screaming. Are you okay?" Rena then laughed.

"Ahahahahaha~ Yeah, I'm fine. I was just startled by a mouse."

"But...we heard you screaming horribly. And you said that you didn't want to be a murderer?"

"Oh, yeah. See, the thing is, I was so startled by it that I fell back and knocked something over. It fell onto the mouse and killed it. I was just afraid because I killed an adorable mouse, that's all." Rena smiled brightly, trying to reassure the old woman. She smiled a bit warmly in return, before taking notice. "Oh, my. I apologize for interupting you. You were probably just about to take a bath, am I right?" Rena looked down. In her haste to run downstairs and answer the door, she had grabbed a bathrobe that was randomly lying around and put it on.

"Yes, that's right. I was just going to get cleaned up from today since I got caught in the rain. We don't have school tomorrow, you know? I didn't want to waste it in bed from having a cold." She grinned. The old woman laughed in agreement. "Well, I'm glad everything was alright. Take care now, okay?"

"I will. Bai bai~" she waved good-bye as the neighbor left to return home. The girl shut the door and locked it, before turning around and gazing at the stairs. She sighed, a look of determination coming onto her face, and she walked towards them. Her hands fumbled around with the robe's tie, and she slipped it off of her body and left it by the bottom of the stairs. Her bloody uniform was revealed, and the bruises on her arms and legs were growing dark purple. One step at a time, she climbed up the stairs, and when she reached the top she turned and went down the hall. She approached a closed door. Her hand raised up and grasped at the knob, turning it until it allowed the door to be opened. She stepped into the room, and shut the door behind her. Her head, and then her body following suit, turned back to look at the sight behind her. Rina's body was sprawled around in the bathtub, as if she was just thrown in there without a second thought. The blood was still leaking out, creating a small pool of it in the tub. Her right arm was already removed from the elbow down, and her left thigh was in the process of being removed as well before the doorbell rang and she had to leave the room. Beside the tub, on the floor was a blood-covered saw that was usually used to cut large pieces of wood.

But it cut bone just fine as well.

Rena's eyes stared at the scene in front of her, the memories of what just happened only moments ago replaying in her mind.

_"No....! No.....!!" she shook her head again, trying to shut up the voice inside her head. "The police!! I have to get the police!!!" she hurried onto her feet, careful not to slip on the mud._

_No, Rena! Don't!_

_She stopped abruptly in her steps._

_You don't want to be a murderer? Then you can't let your sin be known._

_She glanced over at the body._

_......you have to hide it._

_Rena stared intently at the body of the woman that tried to kill her. She trailed her gaze down to the cleaver the corpse held in its hand._

_"..................yeah."_

_You know what you have to do......_

_In instinct, she hurried over to the body and tried pulling it off of its skewer. Her body was heavy, and it seemed that the furniture had gotten caught on some bone, so she couldn't get the body off for a few tries._

_"Come on....damn it...." she cursed under her breath as she yanked and pulled on the corpse's arms. She had to get it inside before anyone who heard her just moments ago came by to investigate. Rena propped one foot against the pile and continued to pull. One try....two tries....By the third try, the body was finally free. As she forced it off of the piece of furniture, she heard a loud crack from the spine breaking as it was suddenly pulled off of the broken furniture. Oh well. It didn't matter anyway whether or not the spine was in tact. This woman was evil, and she was dead. Rena had no respect for people like her. Falling back from the force of the pull, the corpse landed on top of her, limp and quite heavy. Some of the blood got onto her uniform. In reaction, she pushed it off and scrambled onto her feet. She had to hurry. There wasn't much time left._

_Leaving the body for only a brief moment, she ran to the door that led to the living room and opened it, before running back to the body that laid in the mud. The blood was beginning to stream down her stomach and legs from in the rain, but Rena didn't care. It would only be less blood to clean off later. She bent down and picked up the top half of the corpse, propping it up against her as she staggered back towards the house. The legs dragged and tangled in the mud, having been partially severed from the rest of the body on the inside from the spine breaking. The lower half of the body twisted as well, and it digusted the girl at first._

_Just don't look at it, Rena.....Just don't look...._

_Finally, she made it to the living. Careful not to trip, she stepped inside, pausing to prop more of the body against her, her breath heavy. She couldn't make too much of a mess in here. It would be too difficult to clean up later. She had to carry most of it on her back, like a mother would allow her child to ride on her back. Just the thought of that grossed her out. She could feel the blood from the fatal wound dripping down her back and soaking into her clothes._

_"Now....where to put it....." she thought outloud. Her father would be back in a couple of days. She didn't have that much time to do something, so she had to be quick. Let's see....there was a bathroom downstairs, but it was rather small.... The larger bathroom was upstairs, which also posed as a problem. She had to decide: a small, close bathroom, or one with more space but was harder to get to? ....She took a step towards the downstairs bathroom, when a voice suddenly stopped her._

_No, Rena! Don't take the easy way! You're a lot stronger than that!_

_"But....her body is so heavy...There's no way I can carry it up all of those stairs!!" she muttered to herself._

_Yes you can. You can do it. You can do it! You're a strong person, Rena!_

_"No....No I'm not...."_

_Yes you are! You were able to stop yourself from turning yourself in over a mistake! You were able to save your own life, even though the odds seemed close to nothing!_

_"......"_

_You were able to even save Papa! Think about it, Rena! Papa's free! He won't have to deal with this witch anymore! And it's because of you! You saved him!_

_"............."_

_So you see? You're strong. You're very strong, even more than you know. You could do anything if you just tried. You can do it. Don't take the easy way. Not anymore._

_Rena looked up at the hallway on the second floor. The faint pitter-patter of the rain from outside faded into silence as she became lost in her thought. The look of determination returned to her face, and she mustered up the strength that was hidden inside of her heart and lifted up a bit more of the corpse against herself. _

_  
"You're right. I can do it. I can!" she murmured to herself as she put one foot in front of the other towards the stairs. After a moment, she reached the bottom of the stairs. Now came the hard part. One step at a time. _

_Don't give up, Rena... You can do it! You can! Just believe and try! _

_As she began her ascent to the top floor, the weight of the body grew heavier. She had to take each step slowly and carefully. A few times, she even lost balance and almost fell backwards. She would have if the rail wasn't there to help her stay up. But after what seemed like forever, she finally reached the top step. The bathroom was now just a few feet away. She almost made it....she almost made it! Just a few more and this burden would be off of her shoulders!_

_Upon stepping into the bathroom, she almost collapsed. Her legs were sore. Her back was sore. Her shoulders were sore. Her arms were sore. And her entire body was wet with both rain and blood. But, she made it nonetheless. Taking a breather, she dropped the body onto the tile and propped herself against the counter for a moment or two to catch her breath. After a few pants, she glanced over at the body that was just tossed carelessly onto the floor. She had to hide it somewhere else, she knew this. But....there was no way she could hide a whole body! ......Wait. That was it. She couldn't hide a "whole" body._

_But what if the body was cut up into pieces?_

_At the sudden thought, she calmly stepped out of the room and made her way downstairs. The Ryugu household kept a toolshed in the back, and it was stocked with all sorts of tools: rakes, shovels, gardening tools, branch clippers, her beloved cleaver which was still outside by the pile, an axe for chopping wood, a saw for cutting the wood, stakes, and --- The saw! She could use the saw! She walked back to the living room, and was horrified to find that she had forgotten to shut the door. She would shut it on her way back in, she decided. Going back out into the rain, she made her way towards the shed, careful to not be seen by anyone who happened to be passing by. She was covered in blood, afterall. Luckily, nobody was out because of the rain. There was one good thing to this bad weather, she supposed. _

_She opened the door to the shed, and searched around in it for the saw. Ahh. There it was. Right next to the spot where her cleaver would've been. Rena grabbed the handle, careful not to drop it or cut herself in the process, and lifted it out of its spot. She returned outside, the saw in hand, and shut the shed's door behind her. She rushed back inside, making sure to the shut the door this time, and removed her very dirty and wet socks. She left them in a hamper when she went back into the bathroom upstairs. She couldn't help but stare at the body laid out in front of her when she walked in. She knew that cutting it up would make even more of a mess than what was already there....what to do, what to do....Ahh! The bathtub! She could place the body in the tub, chop it up with the saw, and when she was done, she could simply wash the blood down the drain. What a brilliant plan, Rena!_

_Propping the saw against the wall, she stepped over the body carefully. She bent down and grabbed a strong hold on the body, lifting up as much as she could off of the ground. Her feet shifted silently, maintaining her balance under the weight. She let out a grunt as she threw the body as best she could into the tub. The upper half made it in, slouching over the side of the tub with one half of the body on each side. She lifted the corpse's legs and threw them in after the torso, not caring about how it landed in the tub, so long as all of the body was in. Things would be easier from this point on......_

* * *

"Hello, Rina-san. I'm sorry for making you wait." The girl walked over towards the saw and picked it up. "But there was somebody at the door. It would be rude if I didn't answer even though I was home." A small smile was formed on the girl's lips, before it faded instantly into a frown. "I told you to leave my house. If only you had listened, then maybe you would be in a more comfortable situation right now. But, there's nothing we can do about that at this point, is there? Oh well." she almost shrugged, and stepped towards the body in the tub.

"In case you were wondering, I'm not going to make this easy. I'm going to take my sweet time. Afterall, there's nobody around. I have no rush. I have all day tomorrow to finish taking care of you, so you're going to be here for a while. Don't get any ideas that you're getting off easy just because you're dead." She smiled again. Gripping the saw tightly, she bent down and began to continue her work at cutting the left thigh off. The saw moved back and forth in smooth motions until it reached the bone. At that point, she had to apply more force onto it. The teeth of the saw grinded against the bone, and it continued to do so until she finally heard that beloved "crack" from the bone breaking. The rest of the leg was then removed from the body and placed aside.

"Now that your left leg is gone, what part shall I get rid of next?" she stood upright, placing one knuckle against her hip as she looked over the body. "There are so many options. I wonder which one I should do next? Which one? Ahehehehe~" she giggled gleefully for a moment. The giggling stopped, failing to get a response from the corpse, and she stared at the body. The longer she stared, the more her smile faded into a frown. Frusteration gleemed in her eyes, and she glared angrily until something in her finally snapped.

"Damn you!!!" she shouted, and thrust the saw into the chest. Blood splurted out of the cut from the impact and landed on her arms and uniform shirt. She pulled the saw out in a forceful manner, ripping some of the flesh and exposing muscle.

"How dare you die quickly!! You didn't even feel any pain!!" She continued to shout, thrusting the saw back into the chest, making the cut deeper. A tooth of the saw pierced the heart through an open spot in the ribcage, and a small amount of blood splurted out of the chest like a fountain as she yanked the saw out again.

"You should have suffered! You should have suffered for what you did to those people! For what you did to Papa!! What you did to _me_!!!!" She swung it down, the force of impact cracking a rib and creating a large gash in the flesh. The girl continued to swear and curse as she hacked away at the body in rage.

"You're the worst kind of person!!" Rip.

"You don't deserve to die quickly and painlessly!!" Tear.

"You should back to Hell where you came from, damn you!!!!!!!!!" This swing wasn't aimed, thus it hit another part of the body other than the chest. Rather, it hit the area where the womb would be. She paused, noticing the place she struck. The womb......she knew this witch and her Papa were pretty close. And she had spent the night on a few occassions. What if....what if she had gotten pregnant? Then, would she have killed her own sibling? She gulped, horrified at the thought. But, she had to know. What she pregnant or not? Gripping the handle of the saw, she carefully cut away at the flesh until the gash was wide and deep enough to see where the baby would be growing. After the gash was created, she set the saw down onto the tile and moved over towards the cut. Her entire body shook, a little nervous to ripping open a dead woman's stomach. But, she had to do it. She remembered what Rina had mentioned something earlier....

_"Well, you see...You know that your father and I have been going out for sometime now. We've been discussing things, and we both think that it's time for us to take our relationship seriously. Like, maybe saying a couple of 'I do's, and perhaps even giving you a little sister or brother....Things like that."_

'....and perhaps even giving you a little sister or brother....' Was that Rina's way of telling her she was pregnant? No....It was too vague. It might have referred to a later pregnancy, maybe. But either way, it wouldn't happen now. Gather up her nerves, her fingers moved into the gash and grabbed ahold of the skin, ready to open up the womb. It felt slimy, and warm. Her stomach was churning at the feel of it. How gross....

Her hands moved apart from eachother, opening up the gash and allowing light into the womb. Rena looked away for a brief moment, and almost changed her mind. But curiousity got the better of her. She had to know if she was just the murderer of one person....or two. She inhaled deeply and turned quickly to look into the womb. She froze. She could feel the bile beginning to rise up. Her fingers removed themselves from inside Rina's body, and shakily moved away as if the body was something that was so horrible it should never be touched, and by touching it your soul would instantly become tainted. Her hands twitched, and her throat closed and felt dry.

In the act of killing this horrible woman, she had also killed her own sibling.

"N......No....." she gasped. There was no mistaking it. Inside of the womb, there was a tiny, tiny thing nuzzled inside. It was smaller than the nail of her pinky toe, but it was there. It was definitely there. This woman had done many terrible things. She had blackmailed money from people. She had used deceit and force to get what she wanted. She had tricked Rena's father into falling for her and becoming another one of her victims. She had even tried to kill Rena. But the baby....the baby had done nothing. And Rena had taken its life away before it even had a chance to live. Surely....Surely, Rena was the worst. Even worse than this woman. She....had killed an innocent person. Her eyes stung as tears formed.

_No, Rena...! Don't cry!_

"I.....But I....."

_Don't cry. Whatever you do, don't cry. Not for them._

"But....Papa's baby.....Rena's brother or sister.....They're gone...." she sniffled, fighting back the tears.

_Remember that it is also Rina-san's baby!_

She paused.

_It may be Papa's baby, but...it's also Rina-san's. It's that witch's baby. You don't have to grief over something like that._

"......" She inhaled shakily, before calming down. The tears went away, and no more replaced them. She glared at the corpse in the tub, and grabbed the saw tightly.

_Don't let something like that get in the way of what you have to do. Don't let anything get in the way of what you have to do._

Maintaining as much composure as possible, Rena began sawing the body at the torso, when the gash from her death had broken the spine. Surprised by her newfound strength, she cut through it quickly, and continued on at the other arm. Then the other leg. Before too long, all that was left now was to remove the head from the torso. She stood up, not paying any mind to the amount of blood on her hands or arms. She stared down at Rina's face, her eyes void of any sympathy or pity. Her hand gripped the saw very tightly.

"Rina-san...." she spoke, raising the saw above her head. ".....I hope you enjoy Hell."

And with that, she swung down the saw with impressive strength, severing the head from the remaining body and grinding against the bone.

* * *

It had taken her all evening, but she did it. She finally did it. The living room, the stairs, the hall, even the bloodied bathroom, were all clean. There was no trace of mud or blood anywhere. The body had been bagged up and removed already, and it was waiting in a hidden place in the back. The bathtub was cleaner than ever, even though just a few hours ago it was filled with blood. But it went down the drain smoothly and didn't leave a trace. She cleaned the saw and returned it to the tool shed where it belonged. Now all that she had to do was find somewhere else to hide the body parts, and she would be free. It seemed as though everything was going fine and dandy for her......until she doorbell rang.

"Ahh! Coming!!" she called to whoever was on the other side of the door. She hurried the bathrobe over her, not having time to change because of all of the cleaning. Who could it be at the door at this time of day? And while it was still raining? After tying the robe onto her body, she approached the door and opened it.

"Ahh...! K-Keiichi-kun...!" she gasped with surprise, blushing slightly. Crap.....she's wearing a bathrobe! But even worse, under that bathrobe was a sign that she had done something horrible! Oh....as much as she hated admitting it, she didn't want Keiichi there. Why did he have to show up?!

"Hey, Rena. I stopped by to make sure you were okay." he said, grinning sheepishly. He had long changed out of the maid outfit and into his regular street clothes. He was holding an umbrella, so he would stay dry.

"O-Oh...is that so?" she asked meekly. Keiichi's grin faded gradually. "Rena....is something wrong? You've been like this for a couple of days now..." his voice held concern. It sent a dagger through her heart. That was how painful it was to see how worried Keiichi was, but she couldn't accept that worry because of what she had done.

"It....It's alright....Nothing for you to worry about....okay?" she glanced to the side, stammering as she spoke. Keiichi, disappointed, sighed and looked away briefly, before returning his gaze back to her. "Is it alright if I came in?" Rena thought for a moment. On one hand, if he came in, he'd only see the calmness and cleanliness of the house. He wouldn't worry and then he'd leave. But on the other hand, he'd be persistant and want to stay for a while to try and help. What could she do?

"....sure. Come in." she said, standing aside. He stepped in, shaking the rain water off of the umbrella outside, before closing it and pulling it indoors. He shut the door and set the umbrella beside the shoeshelf. After setting down the umbrella, he looked at the girl in silence. Without warning, his arms opened up, inviting her for a hug. He wanted to comfort her in any way possible, and it seemed like a hug was all he could do for now. She was caught off-guard, seeing him waiting with open arms. It was too good to pass up. Ever since Mion had told them not to be together, they had to keep their distance even though their feelings were the same. Without a second thought, Rena ran into his arms and embraced him. He felt so warm and soft. She had missed this feeling. Her heart began to pound as she felt his own arms wrap around her.

"It's okay, Rena....I'm here...." he murmured reassuringly. "I'm here...." Her eyes closed for a moment. This felt so right....so good....to finally be in his arms. She was so lost in bliss, that she didn't even realize the pain that was sent throughout her body as his grip on her tightened.

"O-Ow..." she muttered quietly, breaking free from his grasp. The poor boy looked confused. "Are you hurt? What's wrong?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. More pain was sent through her body. "Ow--- n-nothing..." she said, pulling away from him. This time he didn't give up.

"Rena, please tell me. What happened to you? You can trust me, can't you?" he asked. She thought for a moment. She might have only known him for about a month....but....she knew what kind of person Keiichi was. He wasn't the kind to tell secrets to other people. Rather, he was the kind of person that would listen, and try to understand, and be there to help. She remained silent, and looked away, sighing. Her left arm raised until it was straight in front of her, and her right hand pulled back the sleeve, revealing the bruises. His body was stunned, his eyes widening from shock.

"Oh my God...what happened?" he asked, holding her arm gingerly as he examined the bruises. He noticed that the bruises continued under the robe. Damn it...if only he knew....what was she hiding under that robe?

"......you know that woman that visited the other night we had dinner?" she asked softly. He nodded, looking at her with full attention. "....she did this."

"What?" he froze. "No way.....but she seemed pretty nice...!"

"She did. But she wasn't."

"'Wasn't? What do you mean? What happened?" Rena looked away, biting her lower lip. "....I'll show you....if you promise a few things."

"Yes...Anything!" She looked back at him.

"Promise that you won't tell anybody. Anybody. Not Rika-chan, Satoko-chan, or even Mii-chan. Nobody!"

"Of course!"

"And....promise that you won't think badly of me...."

"Rena, I could never do that...you know I love you for you. It doesn't matter what happened. I'll still love you." Her heart broke at hearing those weirds. She looked down, not speaking or making any kind of sound. Her hands moved to the tie of the robe, and began to untie it. Now loosened, she slipped the robe off of her shoulders and it fell to the ground, revealing the blood-stained clothing and a multitude of other bruises she had. His body petrified at seeing the bruises, but he could swear his heart stopped at seeing the blood. There was so much....so much blood...!

"....what....the hell...." he managed to let out. He could feel his entire body shaking. Blood....it was all over her.....was it hers?! Someone else's?! Oh God....!

"Keiichi-kun. You have to understand, it was a complete accident." Her voice, surprisingly calm, took him out of his state of shock. He stared at her face. It seemed calm, as though nothing had happened at all. But her eyes showed her true feelings. They were glassy, as though she was on the brink of tears. He took in a deep breath, regaining his composure.

"....please tell me what happened."

* * *

"....and that's what happened." Rena said sadly, looking down. Keiichi couldn't believe it....what that woman was doing to Rena's father, what she had tried to do to Rena, what Rena had done after the accident....it was all too much!!

"....w...where is she...?" he forced himself to ask.

"In the back. I was going to go out tonight and dispose of her."

"............"

"....I'm sorry. I know what I did was stupid. And I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to stop the relationship we have..."

"No." Gasping silently, Rena looked up at Keiichi. "You don't have to apologize. It was an accident. You didn't have any intentions of killing her. It just....happened. And you panicked. Anybody would have done that if they were in your shoes." She was surprised with how well he was taking this. "I'm your friend, Rena. I'm here for you." She began to tear up.

"I won't judge you, because I know what kind of person you really are. And you're not a murderer." He smiled. "I'll do what I can to help you."

"K...Keiichi-kun......" A tear ran down her cheek. She ran into his arms and began to cry. He held her, and he would keep holding her until she felt safe enough to let go. But for now, Rena needed him. She needed him to be there for her. And so he would. He would always be there for her.

......always.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Awwh, poor Rena.... ; ~ ;

I hope I didn't do too badly with describing the chopping up of the body. I tried making it gruesome and Higurashi-esque. XD;

This little part with the body is sort of a mix between Onisarashi-hen and Tsumihoroboshi-hen. *spoilers* (In Onisarashi-hen, the main character chopped up the body in the bathroom. In Tsumhoroboshi-hen, Rina was chopped up and Rena was found out [well, in this case, she told him, but still])

What could happen now? Kihihihihi....


	9. Katai: Festival

The sky only seemed to grow darker, now that night had fallen. The rain hadn't let up since it began; rather, it had started to pour even harder. The wind was forceful and violent. Were all storms in Hinamizawa this bad? They were surely a lot worse than in the city. But after it rained, the air only smelled even cleaner and fresher than it usually did. It didn't matter what you had to go through; all that mattered was what was waiting for you at the end. You could endure any hardship, so long as you knew that something better was going to arrive sooner or later. That was how he viewed the weather in Hinamizawa. And he knew that that reasoning was, somehow, helping Rena maintain her sanity. Her parents were divorced. Her father was led astray by a horrible woman. In the attempts of protecting her father, Rena had accidentally killed this woman. But he would still be there, to help her and comfort her. He would be by her side and he would help her get through this. So that, one day, she could learn to smile that bright, beautiful smile he knew. However, that smile that laid upon her face....it sent some sort of eerie uneasiness through his skin. And it only seemed to grow worse as they stood outside in that storm, looking at the bags of the body parts. That uneasiness, though, was not noticed at first. The force of the wind had ripped a couple open, exposing whatever laid inside. He stared at what was exposed, not believing the sight he was seeing.

"......Rena......what the hell did you _do_ to her?" His voice was surprisingly calm. He could feel his nerves going uncontrolable, but he still kept a calm, composured mask on his face.

".........well......." He turned around to face her, hearing her voice over the roaring wind. Her eyes seemed lifeless. Her expression was blank. Both of their clothes and bodies were soaking wet and cold from the weather they were enduring.

"While I was cutting up the body.....I guess, the rage and hatred I've been bottling up inside just....I don't know, just suddenly came out all at once. I lost control...." Vivid flashes of memories from earlier that day replayed in her mind.

"I couldn't stop myself...." _"Damn you!!!" The saw was struck into the chest. Blood splurted out of the cut from impact and landed on her body. The saw was then yanked out, ripping the flesh and exposing muscle. Chunks of flesh flew out and landed in random places on the ground._

"I just.....hated her so much...." _"How dare you die quickly!! You didn't even feel any pain!!" A tooth of the saw, when thrust back into the chest, pierced the heart. Blood squirted out like a fountain. It splurted everywhere: on the walls of the shower the bath was a part of, the tile, on her clothes..._

"I couldn't stand the fact that she died so easily and without any pain....So, I guess, in all of that anger....." _"You should have suffered!! You should have suffered for what you did to those people!" Hack. "For what you did to Papa!!" Rip. "What you did to me!!!" Crack. Those words of hatred echoed in the bathroom, the saw hacking away at the body in the tub. There was red everywhere. The tub. The walls. The tile. Her clothes. Her arms. Her face....._

"................" She suddenly froze, her eyes growing wide and lifeless. "Rena?" Keiichi spoke, trying to make her snap out of it. "What....." He paused. She didn't seem to be talking to anybody in particular. And she spoke in a soft voice. "....what could have started all of this....?"

"Started all of what?"

"First we miss the purification of our bodies.....then Tomitake-san and Takano-san end up dead......then I find out what this woman was planning on doing......and then....I kill her....."

"W-What?! Tomitake-san and Takano-san are dead?!" Keiichi gasped in shock and surprise. Rena didn't seem to hear him. "Now....I am tainted....No matter how many times I wash my hands, the blood won't come off....." "Rena, what are you saying?!" "No matter how many times I try to assure myself, I know that what I've been doing this whole time was wrong...."

"Rena! Snap out of it!" A hand firmly grasped her shoulder. She stopped speaking an instant later, only able to stare into nothingness.

All of this started.....because of _that_.......

_Kei-chan!!!!_

A voice.....a disgustingly, irritating voice, interupted the silence inside her head. It was that voice. That voice that belonged to that person. That person whom she knew and loved very, very much. Well, did. But now....everything became clear.

"....................." Her face hiding in the shadows of the darkness, a demon took over her. A wide, toothy smile crept onto her face. It held no hint of joy or happiness or any of the usual features in the smiles she usually bore. This smile was....twisted, in a sense. It appeared to be a half-snarl. And it sent chills running through Keiichi's spine. It was definitely a demon's smile.

_.......Fine, Mii-chan. I see how it is. I know your game now. Like Hell I'll lose. I'll never lose. Not to the likes of you...!_

"Rena."

His voice brought her back somewhat. She glanced up at him, the smile instantly fading. She found him looking at her with sincere eyes. "Don't worry. You've been through enough already. I'll take care of these for you. Okay?" he said. She blinked, before nodding. "...thank you...." she murmured. He let go of her shoulder, and turned to walk towards the body parts. He tried lifting a few to see how heavy they were. Not that heavy. That wasn't very surprising, since they were just parts of a whole. He set them down, and walked back to her.

"I'll be right back. I have to get something to carry them in. Alright?" he stated, and ran off into the darkness to retrieve the item he claimed to need. She turned and watched as he left. That evil, twisted smile returned to her face.

_.....you made a mistake in choosing your enemies....That will cost you dearly.....Mii-chan._

"Aha......Ahahahahahahahaha....."

* * *

_All of this started.....because of that......._

_I see now.....everything bad that's been happening to me....it all started with Mii-chan...._

_Because she was jealous of the time Keiichi-kun and I were spending together, she chased us out of the festival.....And then we missed the cotton-drifting....._

_But she didn't stop there, did she, Rena?_

_No, she didn't._

_What else did she do?_

_She came by and deliberately told me to stop seeing Keiichi-kun....And then she expects to go on as though nothing happened?!_

_It seems as though she doesn't care about you or your feelings. She'll do anything to win. Anything._

_But....Mii-chan isn't like that!_

_Oh really? She seems pretty hostile during club._

_But that's club! This is real life!_

_Wasn't it her that said to use your abilities you gain in club in real life?_

_.......That....._

_"That"?_

_That's just....._

_You can't deny it, Rena. Mii-chan used those tactics and lured you into her trap. She's punishing you for taking Keiichi-kun away from her._

_But....Mii-chan wouldn't...._

_She's making you suffer because you finally have happiness. You have something that she doesn't. And so, she's punishing you for it._

_.........._

_Why else would she tell you about Tomitake-san and Takano-san?_

_S-She probably just wanted me to know! Rika-chan told her, too....!_

_Rika-chan told Mii-chan because she felt obliged to tell her friend the truth. Sooner or later, she would have told you too, Rena. But instead, Mii-chan did it._

_M-Mii-chan said that Rika-chan wanted her to tell me..._

_And what if that was a lie? What if Mii-chan told you just to punish you even further? She specifically left in the reason why they think Tomitake-san and Takano-san were targeted._

_....w.....why?_

_Remember? They didn't partake in the cotton-drifting._

_..................._

_She knew that you and Keiichi-kun didn't partake in the cotton-drifting, either._

_..........no..........._

_She wanted you to feel horrible for not participating. She wanted you to feel pressured and cornered._

_No......!_

_She led you to feeling paranoid about what was going to happen to you. And the result of that is making you feel uneasy whenever you're around your friends. _

_Shut.....shut up....!_

_And then that pressure built up, and so you killed Rina-san._

_SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

_Don't lie to yourself by denying it, Rena!! For once just shut your trap and listen!!!_

_.............._

_Everything leads back to the Watanagashi! It all started because Mion saw you together and chased you out of the festival! And now all of these bad things are happening because you weren't given a chance to cleanse your body!_

_........I think......you're right......._

_I am right. You finally see that, Rena._

_........and this whole time.....I thought she was my friend......_

_You thought wrong. She led you astray. Just how Rina-san led Papa astray._

_........like....Rina-san?_

_Worse than Rina-san. Because she attacked you personally. She attacked you because you were happy._

_.....I......._

_Hmm?_

_I can't believe.....I've never seen it before......._

_.........._

_....Damn it.........Damn it.....!! How dare she!! How dare she try to hurt Rena, because she was angry?! Damn her! Damn her! DAMN HER!!!_

_......do you understand now?_

_Yes......I understand......_

_And what do you intend to do now?_

_.......I will make Mii-chan pay....She'll feel pain much worse than I have....._

_......you know? That sounds like a fair punishment._

_Doesn't it? Doesn't it? Ahahahahahahahahahaha.....!!_

Rena went to sleep that night, giggling madly. Keiichi had already returned with the bag and had stuffed the body parts into it. He hid it in a secret spot in the woods that the two would visit and dispose of the bag the next day. Everything was going smoothly. Nobody but her and Keiichi would ever know about this. Ever. But then....there was Mion. Rena was mad at Mion, convincing herself that the cause of all of her all problems was somehow related to Mion. She had vowed to make her pay. The price she would have to pay, though.....that was the best part.

* * *

**Author's Note**

About time Rena went a bit nuts, isn't it? XD

What could she possibly have in store for Mion? I wonder. I wonder. Kihihihi.....

*Spoiler* Plot twists ahead~ :O

And I apologize for such a freaking short chapter. ; ~ ;


	10. Tatari: Memory

The little girl cried when she lost her marbles in the desert.

She searched the desert for one hundred years.

The little girl cried when she thought she might have lost them in the sea rather than the desert.

She searched the depths of the sea for one hundred years.

The little girl cried when she thought she might have lost them in the mountains rather than the sea.

How long will it take until she begins to doubt whether or not she actually lost them to begin with?

* * *

"What?! Rena's gone missing?!" Mion exclaimed. Keiichi shushed her. "Don't say it out loud like that!" The two oldest, the _only_ oldest, members of the club were walking home. Club that day had been cancelled due to Rena's sudden absence. Poor Satoko and Rika. They were so clueless as to why she was gone. Then someone in their group, Keiichi forgot who exactly, spoke out loud that maybe, just maybe......Rena was struck by Oyashiro-sama's curse and was Onikakushi'd?

"Anyway, do you think that's what really happened?" Mion asked, genuine concern in her tone of voice. Keiichi glanced away, as if in thought. "I don't know....I mean, I just saw her a few days ago....Wherever she is, I hope she's alright....I really do...." He stopped walking, not knowing what else to say. He turned his attention back to Mion, who had placed a hand upon his shoulder.

"Rena's a strong person. I'm sure that she's fine. If it really was Oyashiro-sama's curse.....maybe he'll take it easy on her. She didn't do anything wrong....right?" He looked away again. That....wasn't completely true.

* * *

Yesterday, Keiichi got a phone call from Mr. Ryugu, Rena's father. He told him that he had to come to their house right away. Thinking it was important, Keiichi immediately left his house and hurried to Rena's. Once there, he discovered the reason why he was called so suddenly. Rena had left her father a note and a notebook, and on the note, it said, "Papa. Don't open this notebook or read its contents until Keiichi-kun arrives." With Keiichi now at the house, the notebook, and whatever was written in it, would finally be read. The following is what was written.

_Papa. Keiichi-kun._

_I'm sorry to say that I'm not going to be around anymore. By the time you've begun to read this notebook, I'll already be long gone. Don't bother looking for me. It's hopeless. "Rena Ryugu" no longer lives in Hinamizawa. "Rena Ryugu" no longer exists. You must be wondering why I've left and where I've run off to, and why I left you this notebook. I'll tell you why. I'm going to confess something. I hope you can manage to contain yourself and keep composure. What I'm about to tell you, you may not like._

_I found something out about Rina-san a few days ago. She was working with another man, whose name I currently do not know, and together they played a badger game on poor, pathetic men looking for money. Her real name is Ritsuko. Not your precious "Rina". She chose you, Papa, as her next target in their scam. When I went into town to pick up the jackets the other day, the clerk said that their shipment truck was delayed, and so I stayed in a cafe until it arrived. By chance, Ritsuko and that man she was with were in the same cafe, just a few tables away in a booth that was away from sight. I witnessed their abuse on two men, pressuring them for money they've apparently loaned them. The man seemed violent and tough. At first, I didn't know it was "Rina-san". I couldn't see her that clearly. The man talked to her about her "Hinamizawa hubby", which confused me a bit at first. She said that "he was loaded", and that "when his wife divorced him, she felt guilty for leaving him and their kid, so she left him a bunch of compensation money." I found that part interesting. As you well know, Hinamizawa is a small town. We know everything about everybody. And when I heard that, the only person that could come to mind that fit their description was me and my family. I didn't want to believe it, so I denied it. But then I saw her when she and the man left, and I knew. I knew for sure. It was Rina-san._

_I started to check up on our savings. At first, it didn't seem like anything big was taken out of the bank, so I wasn't too worried. But then, one day, I found that a huge sum had been taken out. I knew it was her. She was stealing money from us. I've always known there was something wrong with her. I didn't like her style of clothes. I didn't like her make-up. At times, I even think she smelled a little strange. But I didn't tell you. Because you were happy, Papa. You were so happy, and I didn't want to be the one to ruin your happiness. I didn't want to do what Mama did to us. But then I told myself that Papa wasn't really happy if he was being tricked by a witch like her._

_She heard me._

_We talked, and she told me things. Like, how you were planning on getting married and having some children to give me siblings. I objected to it, knowing what was really going on with that woman. I told her that I didn't like her, and what I thought was wrong with her. And then she began to show her true colors. She said that she hated me too. I told her to get out of our house. I wanted her out and away from you. From us._

_And then she began to beat me._

_First she slapped me. It hurt. It really hurt. Like a stinging sort of pain. I fell to the ground, forced down by the impact. Then she grabbed my hair and slapped me again, before dropping me. Then she grabbed my shirt's collar and dragged me down the hall. I tried to stand up in hopes of breaking away, but I failed. Then she threw me down the stairs. It hurt. It really hurt. I got bruises all over my body. I hit my head a few times. But luckily, when I finally made it to the first floor, I didn't seem to be fatally injured. It was almost a miracle that I made it with only some bruises. But then she came down. I knew she wanted to beat me some more. I ran into the kitchen, in hopes of getting a weapon to defend myself. I had forgotten that I had to take in our kitchen knives to the pawn shop. I was powerless, or so I thought. I had to think of something. There was a frying pan left on the stove. I hid beside the doorway. When she walked in, I hit her head with the frying pan and ran outside while she was down. I needed something. Anything. I had to protect myself._

_I remembered that I had my beloved cleaver, from when I went treasure hunting to get Kenta-kun. I left it with all of my treasures. So the first place I looked was in the pile of "junk" that you were going to throw out. To my dismay, I couldn't find it. I started to panic. I couldn't find it, no matter where I looked! It was gone! And then Ritsuko-san came out, bearing my own weapon. I was cornered. The storm began. I tripped over myself while backing away. She was about to kill me. She was going to kill me, then dispose of my body, then tell you, Papa, that I ran away and never wanted to be found again. She swung my cleaver up above her head. I panicked. Without thinking, I pushed her back. The weight of my cleaver made her unbalanced, and she fell back. Onto the pile of junk. And her body was impaled by a leg of that broken chair we were going to throw out. It took me a moment to snap out of it. I lied to myself. I kept telling myself that I was outside in the pouring rain because I was "sleep walking" or "spacing out". But then I couldn't hide it anymore._

_I had killed Rina-san._

_"Rina-san". "Ritsuko-san". It doesn't matter who she is anymore. She's gone. She's gone and never going to come back. You're free, Papa. You're finally free from that witch. I, however, am not. After I realized that I killed her, by accident mind you, I began to freak. I ran in and almost called the police. But something inside me told me not to. It told me to take care of my mistake on my own. Being the naive person I was, I believed them. I took Rina-san's body upstairs to the bathroom. It took a while, but I managed to do it. I then got the idea to cut up her body into pieces, to make it easier for me to hide her. So I took the wood-saw from our tool shed and brought it upstairs. It was raining hard. Nobody saw me. I was safe. I forced her body into the bathtub and cut it up. I started with her right arm. It wasn't that thick, so I was able to cut through it easily. I was in the middle of getting rid of her left leg, but somebody came to the door. In a hurry, I grabbed your bathrobe without thinking and put it on as I went to answer the door. It was our neighbor, Kushimaku-san. She was worried, since she and her husband heard me screaming earlier after I found Rina-san's body. I explained to them that I was just scared by a mouse. And she left. I went back upstairs and continued to chop up her body. I finally got rid of her left leg. In my state of mind, I even talked to her dead body. I asked her, "Now that your left leg is gone, what part shall I get rid of next? What part?" Obviously, she didn't answer. I grew frusterated, not getting that answer. So I mutilated her body in anger, hacking away at the flesh while cursing and swearing. I hated that woman. I hated what she did. I hated how she was able to die with no pain._

_I calmed down, though. And resumed chopping up the body. I rinsed the blood down the drain with the showerhead, and put the body parts into garbage bags. I then spent the rest of the day cleaning up the bathroom, downstairs, everywhere I had been. Keiichi-kun stopped by to see if I was alright. I told him I was, and sent him home. He doesn't know about the body until now. Don't question him. He doesn't know anything. I was the only one who did this. Who took any part in this. Do you hear me? I did it! I did it! It was me alone! I'm the only person you're allowed to love or hate, Papa! Love and hate only me! Only me! Ever since Mama broke up our family, I was given all of your attention. I loved that attention. But then Rina-san came into the picture and started to take all of that away. That was when I started to hate her. But then I hated her even more, after I found out what she was really planning on doing to you. Unintentionally, I saved you. You should love me more than ever now! But then again, by saving you, I took away the woman that you loved. So, should you also hate me more than ever now as well?_

_This is getting confusing._

_At any rate, don't bother looking for me. As I said at the beginning of this, "Rena Ryugu" no longer exists. She is no longer a part of this world. By the time you read this, "Rena Ryugu"......is dead. She's dead. She's gone forever now. "Rena Ryugu" no longer exists. In this world, or any world. Some people might think that "Rena Ryugu" was hit by Oyashiro-sama's curse. Or that she was Onikakushi'd. Let them believe what they want to believe. Suppose "Rena Ryugu" had fallen victim to the curse of Oyashiro-sama. Suppose "Rena Ryugu" had been Onikakushi'd. What would anybody be able to do? Nothing. So it wouldn't matter. Would it?_

_Don't bother looking for Rina-san's body, either. It was cut into pieces and those pieces are hidden in places that only I know. In places that only "Rena Ryugu" knows. But since she is gone, it's as if they never existed, isn't it? So forget about Rina-san. Forget about "Rena Ryugu". It'll just make things easier on you. And Keiichi-kun. Forget about "Rena Ryugu" as well. Just writing her name is painful enough as it is. I can only imagine how painful it would be for you to think about her. So don't. I don't want to cause you that kind of pain. _

_So.....this is my last farewell. _

_I hope that, in time, you can learn to forget "Rena Ryugu" entirely. As if she was never a part of your life. It would make things so much easier. Without "Rena Ryugu" in the picture, Mion Sonozaki can finally get what she's been wanting for so damn long. She can finally have Keiichi Maebara, since she's wanted him so badly. She can even forget her best friend that she hurt in the process of getting him. She can, and will, forget everything, so long as that 'everything' is a nuisance. She's head of the Sonozaki family. She should get what she wants, shouldn't she? Shouldn't she? It makes me sick how she can do this just because she has the power to do so. But, it doesn't matter now. Her final obstacle is gone. "Rena Ryugu" is gone. You'll never, ever, see her again. Not in this world. Not in the next world. Never._

_So, I leave to you this note and this confession. Do not think badly of me. I did it because I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you so much._

_But apparently, you don't love me._

_~ Reina Ryugu_

"W....what the hell is this....?!" Mr. Ryugu exclaimed. Keiichi was shocked, and thinking the same thing. Rena....was gone?! fell to his knees and broke down crying. From what Rena had told him before, Keiichi knew that already had his wife leave him. His daughter was all that he had left. But now she, too, was gone. He could only imagine how hard it would be on the poor man. Keiichi knelt down and tried to comfort him, though he soon found that he had no words he could use to cheer him up.

"No....my beloved Reina-chan....she's gone....! She's gone...!!!" he sobbed. His hands clenched into fists, crumpling up the paper Rena left them. Tears streamed down his face in a burning, pathetic manner. "Wh...why does she think I don't love her? I'm her Papa! I love her no matter what! So, why would she say that?!" he asked nobody in particular. Keiichi glanced away, knowing what the real message she was sending was.

_No....it's not you who she thinks doesn't love her....It's me. _

* * *

Keiichi arrived at his house, him and Mion parting a long time ago. His parents returned from Tokyo a couple of days ago, and life had seemed to be going back to normal. Rena was smiling brightly, the person who threatened her happiness and her life now gone forever. Everything in the world seemed right again, until yesterday. When Keiichi read that note Rena-- no, Reina, left for him and her father. Did she really get hit by Oyashiro-sama's curse? That couldn't be; Rika said that Oyashiro-sama woud forgive her. Wouldn't he? That still didn't explain her sudden disappearance. For as long as he lived, he refused to believe that she was the victim of something as ridiculous as Oyashiro-sama's curse. Then where in the Hell was she?

"Oh, Keiichi! Welcome home!" His mother greeted him as he walked through the door. "Hey," was all he said, kicking off his shoes and setting his bag down against the shoeshelf. "You have some mail. Do you want to read it no--" "No, not now. I'm going upstairs. I have to think." He cut her off as he climbed upstairs to go to his room. The second he reached his room, he fell onto his futon, sighing in frusteration. He grabbed his futon's pillow and held it close against him.

"Damn it, Rena....where are you?!" he held back tears, swearing under his breath. He glanced outside his window. It was still that depressing gray, just as it had been these past few days. Was God crying, along with Rena? Is that why there was so much rain now? Rena had been in so much grief recently. It would only make sense for someone like God to sympathize with her.

At the same time, Mion also arrived home. She felt sticky from the humid air, and decided that she would take a shower to feel clean again. She removed her shoes and left them by the door, and carried her bag to her room. As one of the Sonozaki family, who were one of three great families that ruled Hinamizawa, their house was rather large and exquisite. Her room was no exception. It was in old-style Japanese, with a sliding door and old-fashioned furniture. Her door to the yard was left open from that morning. It was so much nicer then. But now that it looked like it would rain, she had to close it. After doing so, she left the room and went into the bathroom with a change of clothes. She left them on the sink counter and undressed, dropping the discarded clothing onto the floor. The shower was turned on, and she stepped in. She let the warm water run over her body. It felt really nice. About ten minutes later, she turned the nozzle and the water shut off. Her hand reached out from beyond the curtain and grabbed a towel that was always hung by the shower, and wrapped it around her body to dry off. When her body was dry enough, she removed the towel and began to dress. From the heat of the warm water, steam had gathered in the room, making it even hotter. So she opened the door to let it out.

She turned back to the mirror over the counter and grabbed a brush that laid in a drawer. Mion ran the brush through her damp hair, getting out all of the tangles. Thunder rolled, muffled by the walls of the Sonozaki house. It had started to rain again. When the thunder died, she froze. What was that sound? Was that footsteps? They sounded faint, and delicate. They certainly weren't in any hurry. Who was it? Was it her Onibaba, the current head of the Sonozaki family? No....they sounded too light. Lost in her thoughts on who it could be, she didn't realize the mirror fogging up from the steam remaining in the room.

"Ah!" she noticed the mirror's condition, and raised a hand to wipe away some of the steam. When it was clear enough to see, something caught her eye. Something.....just walked past....the door. It had already left, but she could definitely see that something was there. She just barely missed it before it vanished beyond the wall. She didn't see enough to tell what it was, so she walked to the doorway to investigate. Her head turned and she looked down both directions of the hall. Nobody. Nobody was there. Was...she just imagining things? Maybe she was a bit loofy from all of the heat in the shower. No, that couldn't be it. If it was, then why could she hear the rain even clearer? She glanced in the direction of her room, and could see light from a flash of lightning, followed by a low rumble of thunder.

"...the hell?" she thought outloud, and walked to her room. Nothing seemed out of place. It looked the same as she left it. Except, for one thing.

The door was open.

"That's weird. I could've sworn I shut that door." she spoke, and walked into the room to shut it. About half-way into the room, she stopped. There it was again. That footstep. She could tell it wasn't her own. It was much lighter, as if they didn't want to be heard. The wood creaked under the pressure of whoever was making those footsteps. Mion turned around, and almost fell backwards in shock. A figure stood in front of her, hiding in the shadows.

"R-Rena!!" Mion exclaimed. She was surprised to see her friend, who she thought went missing. She seemed to be drenched, as if she was out in the rain for a long, long time. Her hair was matted down against her face and neck, her white dress clung to her skin, and her white baret sagged atop her head. The life was gone from her eyes. "You seem surprised, Mii-chan. I wonder why, I wonder why?" Rena responded in a monotonous voice, taking another step towards her.

"W....W-What are you doing here?! We thought you were Onikakushi'd!" Mion gasped. Mixed emotions were inside of her. Of course she was happy to see that her friend was alright. She wasn't hit by Oyashiro-sama's curse afterall! But...uneasiness grew inside of her. A flash of lightning revealed the cause of that feeling. In Rena's right hand, she held....

.....a cleaver.

"Oh? And what would make you think that? I wonder, I wonder?" Rena took another step closer, coming into the dim light from outside. Mion backed away. "...what the hell are you doing with that?" She asked, referring to the cleaver. She had known Rena liked to carry it around with her. But that was only when she went "treasure hunting" at the abandoned construction site. What was it doing here?

"Hmm? Oh, this?" she asked, holding it up a little. "Well you see.....the other day, I found something really, really cute. I call him 'Kenta-kun'. He's really, really cute. So I dug him up and took him home with me." As she spoke, she took another, agonizingly slow step towards the other girl. A twisted, eerie smile crept onto her lips.

"But, one day a little rat came into my house. And she tried to take away Kenta-kun. I couldn't let that happen. So I....." the smile grew a little wider. "...._disposed_ of her." Mion's body shook in fear. She watched in horror as Rena tilted her head in an almost-perfect 90-degree angle. Her face seemed perplexed. "Hmm? You don't seem to get it, Mii-chan. I wonder why, I wonder why?" Chills crept down her spine, hearing something as....haunting as that tone leave Rena's mouth.

"And then....another rat came in, and tried taking something else away from me." Another step closer. "I need to dispose of that one as well."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Mion asked, her voice almost cracking from the pressure. In an instant, Rena's head snapped back up to normal.

"I'm talking about...._you_, my dear Mii-chan~" she cooed. She froze. And Rena's mood suddenly grew dark. The smile vanished within a second, and she looked at Mion coldly. "You came along and tried to separate me and Keiichi-kun. Since when do you have the authority to pry into my business and tell me what and what not to do?" Her tone of voice was serious. How could she possibly respond to that?!

"I....I told you...! I didn't think it would've been appropriate for you and Kei-chan to be involved with eachother because--"

"Because Tomitake-san and Takano-san are now dead? I know. They've been hit by Oyashiro-sama's curse. There isn't a damn thing we can do about it, is there?" She seemed to be almost mocking her. Mion was shocked that Rena would use such language like that. But that was the least of her worries. "Didn't it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, Keiichi-kun and Rena were _happy_? Didn't you want your friends to be happy? Being with Keiichi-kun made me the happiest I've ever been in a long..." Another step. "long...." Another step. "...time."

"Rena....I-I didn't know what you were going through...." Mion tried to assure her. Rena's cold mood suddenly turned hot. "LIAR!!" She swung the cleaver across Mion's head, sending her to the ground. Rena had used the blunt side, so Mion wasn't dead....yet.

"Augh!" Mion grunted as her body hit the floor. A throbbing pain was left on her left temple. But she didn't seem to be bleed. She saw Rena's legs now in front of her, and she looked up. For the first time, she saw hatred in Rena's eyes. It was frightening. Truly frightening. Her teeth were clenched, and her eyes had the look of a mad-man. Her right hand gripped the cleaver's handle tighter, as if she was preparing for another swing.

"Like Hell you didn't know what I was going through! Didn't you think I was panicking because of the cotton-drifting?! You know I've met with Oyashiro-sama before, and you know what I've done because of him!" Her anger only seemed to increase.

"I didn't want to go through that again! I've managed to keep myself calm so far because of what Rika-chan told me. But then....But then you come along and send me into hysterics again!!" she kicked Mion's stomach. With her shoes still on, it hurt a lot worse. Mion got the wind knocked out of her, and was gasping for breath like a fish out of water. Rena watched as Mion squirmed in attempts to breathe. It reminded her of that vision she saw when Mion told her about Tomitake-san and Takano-san. How Tomitake-san was writhing on the ground, squirming frantically. Just like a fish.

"I thought you were my friend!!" She hit her with the blunt end of the cleaver. Mion cried out in pain.

"I thought you cared for me!!" Another hit. Mion cried out in pain.

"I thought that you wanted me to be happy!!' Another hit. Mion covered her head with her hands, cowering in fear. Her entire body was shaking. Rena turned the cleaver by the handle, switching to the hooked end. And she lifted it above her head. She was going to end it. Right here. Right now.

"I thought I could trust you!!!!!!!" She yelled, and was about to swing it down, when something stopped her. Mion flinched, thinking she was going to be struck. The girl with the cleaver stared down at Mion, her eyes wide. She was frozen. What....what was it that was stopping her? A memory? Something like this happened before....maybe not "here"...but somewhere like "here". It was "here", but it wasn't. Another Hinamizawa?

_"I thought I could trust you!!!!" She yelled, and swung down the cleaver upon Mion's head. Mion, who was bound and tied to the school's windowsill by a bikelock, couldn't do anything. "I thought I could trust you!!" She yelled again, and swung it down once more. Blood was drawn from the wound on her head. Keiichi pleaded with her to stop, and she threatened to burn the place down._

_She.....had hurt her friend. Worse. She made her bleed. And she didn't care....! She didn't care one bit! She might have killed her if Keiichi hadn't stepped in!_

Rena lowered the cleaver quickly and backed away. Mion, hearing her footsteps, opened her eyes and looked at Rena. The mad look on her face was gone. In it's stead, the look of sheer terror grew apparent.

"....my God.....what have I....what have I done....?" she asked in a shakey, meek voice. Life returned to her eyes. The contorted smile and clenched teeth were gone. Her breathing grew hard, and it showed that she was close to breaking down. Mion moved a little in attempts to stand up, but by the time she did so, Rena had already fled out the door and outside. She stared at her open door, and watched as the rain poured down.

"....I'm sorry....." she murmured in an honest, apologetic tone. She now understood Rena's feelings. And she was truly, truly sorry, for whatever it is she had done.

* * *

Rena ran out into the pouring rain. Her clothes were getting even more soaked, if that was possible. Her flesh was almost as cold as ice. Her chest was on fire, and her legs were growing sore. But she still ran. She didn't know where she was going, and she didn't care. She just knew that she had to get away from Mion, so she could never hurt her. Not like she did in that other "here". Her breath was heavy, and she gasped for air. Her legs gave out as she tripped over a root of a tree that was sticking out along the side of the road she was running on. She yelped as she fell, and she wept. She couldn't believe that she just did that...Mion was her friend. Her best friend. Even if she did something horrible, she had to forgive her! She had to! She was her friend!

She used her arms to support herself up onto her hands and knees. Her hand brushed against something hard. She looked down, and saw that it was her cleaver. She must have dropped it when she fell. More memories of that "Other Hinamizawa" rushed back in a blurry flash. In that "Other Hinamizawa", she had used this cleaver to kill that man that was working with Ritsuko. That meant that she probably killed that woman in that other "here" as well. And then....she used it as means to threaten Keiichi into agreeing with her. What was it she wanted him so badly to agree with? It was probably something stupid, knowing her. And then....that memory came back. Where she hit Mion, again and again, until she bled. Until Keiichi stopped her from killing her.

Rena quickly scrambled to her feet, grabbing the cleaver. She stared down at it intently. And then her mind was made up. This thing....This weapon, made her violent. In another "here", she used it to kill, to threaten, and to harm. In this "here", she used it to hurt her best friend, and was going to use it as a threat to get rid of that "rat" she mentioned earlier. Her fists tightened, and without a second thought, she turned on her heel and thrust it into the forest beside the road. No more would she have that....that thing. It only made people, even her, suffer. It was a curse. And she had been carrying it around so carelessly. Once she was sure she threw it a safe distance, she continued to run down to the road.

And she vanished into the misty rain.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Lololololololol. Okay, be honest. How many of you wanted Rena to kill Mion? XD;

The fight between the two girls wasn't as epic as I had thought. But my original plan was to have Mion fight back with a sword. They are a mafia family, afterall. But then I thought..... "Why the hell would Mion have a sword in her ROOM?"

XDDDDDD

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. Shouraisei-hen is starting to come to a close. :O *gasp*

5 chapters left..... ; ~ ;

*mourns*

P.S. RENA WITHOUT HER CLEAVER?!?!?!?! :O


	11. Tatari: Forgiveness

"Class... I'm afraid I have some bad news," Chie-sensei announced to the class. Everybody turned their attention to the teacher at the front of the room. She seemed sad. "Rena Ryugu-san....has gone missing." Immediately after hearing this, the class broke out into discussion about what could have happened. Worry was shown on all of their faces.

"I don't get it! Why would Rena-san go missing?!"

"I don't know! She was always so nice and she always made me laugh whenever she tried taking someone home...."

"Do you think that maybe she was hit by Oyashiro-sama's curse?"

"That's enough, class!" Chie-sensei's voice broke through the chatter. The children all fell silent. "I don't know where Ryugu-san is or what she's doing....but....the best we can do now is pray for her safe return. Pray that she'll come back to us...." Everybody bowed their head, mentally pleading to Oyashiro-sama to bring their friend back. Everybody, except Rika. Chie-sensei noticed Rika's lack of concern and she scolded the little girl.

"Furude-san! Aren't you worried about your friend's safety?!" Rika shook her head. Shock swept through the room. "R-Rika! This isn't like you! Why aren't you worried about Rena-san's condition?" Satoko asked, flustered. Rika turned to her friend and beamed.

"Because I _know_ she's alright." Everyone turned and looked at Rika. Keiichi stared, wondering if what Rika was saying...was true. Rika stood up, as if announcing something important.

"Rena will definitely come back to us. She was someone who wanted to be happy, so worrying about her wouldn't do. She wouldn't want us to just sit around and wonder. We have to just wait, and embrace her when she comes back." She grinned.

"I know she'll come back. It's been decided."

* * *

_Shlep. Shlep._

_Tiny feet slapped through a muddy trail as the rain continued to pour. Rika Furude was returning to her house from shopping for some groceries. She held a perrywinkle umbrella, protecting her body from becoming soaked from the falling rain. She skipped merrily along, humming happily to herself, when she suddenly stopped. Something caught her eye, and she froze in her place. Somebody was leaning up against an old tree, not receiving much protection from the rain, but it was better than being out from under it. She walked over to the person and was a little surprised to see who she had stumbled upon._

_"Rena?" The person didn't respond. Rika moved even closer to her, looking down at her. "What are you doing out here in the rain? You're soaking wet. Won't you get sick?" she asked, her eyes showing concern for her friend's health. The other didn't move an inch. But, they did speak._

_"I'v....I've committed a terrible sin...." the words left her mouth in a monotonous tone. Rika blinked, confused. "What are you talking about?" She completely ignored her._

_"Over and over...I've committed this sin..." she looked down at her shakey hands. The hands that used to hold a dangerous thing that could hurt or even kill. "I've hurt....and I've killed....in other places that are like here...but aren't...."_

_"Rena...." a different voice spoke in a demanding tone. Rena froze, and her eyes trailed up to the person that spoke. She looked up and saw Rika Furude. But....was this a different Rika Furude? Her face seemed much darker than the Rika Furude she knew. And her voice sounded a lot more mature. Who was this person that looked like Rika Furude?_

_"Those sins you think you have committed in another life are not sins you should be ashamed of in this life. I understand what that pain is like, where time and time again, you make mistakes that you can't seem to ever forget. And then just when you think you have, they return to haunt you." Rena froze. This person....there was no way this was Rika Furude..._

_"However....you have to learn to accept them. Accept the fact that you made those mistakes in that other life, and learn from them. That is all you can do at this point." She stared down at the girl that stared back up at her. The person on the ground looked away, their lifeless eyes returning to their hands._

_"I wonder....if I would ever be able to accept those mistakes....Or even...if such mistakes could ever be acceptable...." her voice was soft and low. Her skin was pale and cold, her clothes soaked and heavy. The rain suddenly stopped falling upon her, and she looked up at the other. Rika held her umbrella over her, protecting her from becoming even more wet, when she herself was getting soaked._

_"They can be. You just need to find someone to help you learn to accept them." Rena blinked, and watched as the girl held out her hand. _

_"Come with me."_

_Rika led Rena up to her house. It was a bit of a climb, and it was right next to the Furude Shrine, one of the most sacred places in the entire village. Rena wondered why Rika was leading her here, but didn't question it. Rika was revered as the Reincarnate of Oyashiro-sama. Angering her would surely bring wrath upon them...._

_"Wait here." Rika commanded after opening the door to her house. She removed her shoes and walked in, leaving her folded umbrella and her soaked friend by the door. Shivering slightly, Rena looked at the inside of the Furude household. She was surprised to see it a lot more...normal than she expected. Maybe the Furude family didn't want to change their lifestyle just because of their status? Hearing Rika's light footsteps returning brought her out of her thoughts. The shrine priestess was carrying some clothes._

_"These used to be my mother's. I'm sorry if they're too big. But, at least they would be better to wear than soaked clothes," Rika held them up to the older girl, offering her some dry clothes. Rena shook her head. "No, Rika...I couldn't...."_

_"Take them." Rika forced them into Rena's arms, before leading the way inside. Rena followed after removing her shoes, her own feet making light noises, as if trying not to disturb a sleeping monster. She stopped when they arrived at a room. "You can change in here. Afterwards, I want to show you something." Rena could only stare down at Rika. She had never seen her this way. This Rika Furude was so commanding and mature. It was almost as if the cute and innocent Rika she had always known was just an act. Nodding, Rena stepped inside the room, and heard Rika shut the sliding door behind her. She set the clothes down onto the floor and grabbed her cold, wet dress. She pulled it over her head, struggling a little since it clung to her skin. Finally, it was off of her body. Already she felt better, being out of that dress. Her bra and panties were wet as well, but they would dry a lot faster than her dress ever could. Her mid-thigh stockings were also soaking wet, and a bit dirty. It probably would have been better to have removed them at the door along with her shoes. Oh well._

_She examined the clothes Rika left her, and found that they were ceremonial clothes. This wouldn't be too surprising, since Rika's mother was married to the Shrine's head priest. But, these garments were special. Why did Rika give these to her? Not shaking off that thought, she began to dress. The first layer was soft, like a feather, and rather warm. It felt really good against her icey skin. The second layer felt like silk. It was beautiful, hemmed in all sorts of bright colors. Mrs. Furude must have been proud to wear these clothes._

_After she was dressed, Rena opened the door and looked around. Nobody was there. "Rika-chan?" she called out, and stepped into the hallway to look for the little girl. She wandered around, looking in every direction, but still couldn't find her. Where had she run off to? She didn't just up and leave her did she? .....did she?_

_"Rika-cha--" she paused, arriving at the end of the hallway. There was a large room inside, and inside the large room, a shrine lay in the back. Rika was standing by the shrine, looking out at the hallway through the door. Her eyes never left Rena's._

_"Enter." a deep voice came from the girl's lips. Startled, Rena immediately stepped into the room, making light of her footsteps, same as before. She approached Rika, until she was a few feet in front of the shrine. She looked at it, staring intently. "This is...."_

_"Oyashiro-sama's shrine? Yes." Rika took a few steps toward the shrine. "Sit." Rena sat instantly, her feet tucked underneath her, sitting formally. The girl stepped towards her, until they were almost eye-level. "You have sins you would like to atone for. However, you do not think that anybody would want to listen to your sins or even forgive you for them. ...am I right?" Rika asked, getting a shy nod as a response. She turned to look at the shrine. "Then admit your sins to Oyashiro-sama. She will listen and forgive you." Rena blinked. 'She'? She always assumed that Oyashiro-sama was more of a 'he'....no, that wouldn't be right... Gods technically wouldn't have a specific gender unless stated otherwise, and Oyashiro-sama was one of them. Nonetheless, Rena obeyed. She brought her hands together and bowed, clapped twice, then bowed again. It was the custom when praying to their village's deity. After the final bow, she placed her hands flat upon the wooden floor and brought her forehead to her knuckles._

_"Oyashiro-sama.....I come to you to ask for forgiveness...." she began. As she listed her sins, Rika listened intently._

_"I have done terrible things lately.... First I had fallen in love without giving any regard to anybody else, and this is the first of my crimes. Next, I had failed to cleanse my body in your honor during the Watanagashi, and so I am a tainted person. Next...." she paused," ....I have accused my best friend of doing wrong to me, when this entire time, I was too blinded to see that she was innocent." Rika noticed the hesitation when she stated this last "sin". Was....Was Rena trying to hide something from Oyashiro-sama?_

_"Rena. Oyashiro-sama knows when you are lying. Are you keeping something from her?" Rika asked bluntly. Rena shook her head. "I'm not finished..." Rika fell silent. Was she going to confess her crime? Her real crime?_

_"Finally....the worst crime of all...." she broke down. "....I have taken an innocent life!"_

_Rika was thrown back a little. She knew Rena said she had "killed"....but this was the first she had heard of Rena killing someone "innocent"._

_"A few days ago....I accidentally killed my father's girlfriend. She had cornered me with my own weapon, with intentions of murdering me and then doing away with my body. In instinct, I pushed her away. The result of that was her dying by being impaled by a sharp object we were going to get rid of...." she continued, "At first, I didn't want to believe that I did what I thought I did....I wanted to lie to myself by saying that I never did such a thing...! But then....a demon came inside me and told me that I had to hide my mistake. I had to lie to everybody about it. And then, that demon convinced me to defile that body by chopping it into pieces and then hiding it throughout the village....But, before I hid it...." she inhaled shakily._

_"....I checked to see....if what she said was true....Before the accident, she told me that they were planning on having children....I wanted to see if....she was....with a child....my Papa's child......" tears filled her eyes and she sobbed. "......I killed my own sibling!!" she cried. Rika could only watch. In their other "worlds", she had indeed killed Rina. However...this was the first where Rena found Rina with a "child". _

_"Please...try to understand that what I did was not intended! I do regret what I did, I see that now! Please... Find it somewhere in your heart to forgive me....!" she pleaded. Her sobbing stopped, feeling a small hand pat her head._

_"Mii... Oyashiro-sama understands what you are going through. And, Oyashiro-sama forgives you for your mistake." Rena's eyes widened and she inhaled shakily at hearing those words. Oyashiro-sama.....forgave her? Rika smiled softly, but that smile was only brief. It soon faded into an emotionless frown, and she stared down at her._

_"However.... While Oyashiro-sama is glad that you admitted your mistake.... she doesn't think that she is the one you should be apologizing to, or asking to forgive you." Her hand stopped patting Rena's head. Rena was surprised. Oyashiro-sama...wasn't the one she should be apologizing to? "T...Then who should I be asking for forgiveness from?" she asked with a nervously shakey voice. Rika seemed unamused. She spoke, and her lips showed proof of this. At hearing her words, Rena's eyes widened even more, and she could feel her heart stop. Time appeared to have been frozen over and stopped dead in its place. Silence took over the world. Rika's words still echoed in Rena's ears._

_'The person you should be asking to forgive you......is yourself.'_

Rika snapped back to reality, and grinned. "So don't worry. Rena just has some things she needs to work out. But once everything's alright, she'll return to us. I promise."

* * *

Club was once again canceled for that day. The club president, Mion, thought it would be the most appropriate thing to do, since they were missing a big part of their group. The rest of the class had already left, and Rika and Satoko were just packing up, getting ready to leave as well. Keiichi stood up to get ready to pack along with the other two, when Mion stopped him.

"Kei-chan... I'd like to speak with you." He paused, and looked at the older girl. "Alright. About what?" he asked, Rika and Satoko leaving without a word. Mion stood up and walked over to Keiichi. "I've been thinking lately....about what's been happening...."

"You mean with Rena running away and what's been going on with Tomitake-san and Takano-san?" he asked.

"No. About between you and Rena."

"Ehh?"

Mion suddenly got onto her knees, placed her hands flat upon the floor in front of her, and bowed until her forehead was pressed against her knuckles. "I'd like to apologize about my actions and what I felt towards you two. What goes on between you and Rena is no business of mine unless you wish to share it. I had no right to tell you and her what you could and could not do." she paused. "So....I'm sorry. I hope that you can forgive me someday."

"Why are you apologizing?" Shocked, Mion looked up. Keiichi looked confused, and concerned.

"You were only doing what you thought was right for the situation at hand, as every good leader should. I understand what you were feeling, and I know that I wouldn't find it appropriate for two of my closest friends to wander off into their own little world when two people we knew had just died. But, don't you think that maybe you could have taken a different approach to it?" Mion glanced away. Keiichi knelt down and placed a hand upon her shoulder.

"But since you insist on apologizing...I forgive you." He smiled, and it brought tears to Mion's eyes. "What....What was I thinking....expecting Rena to be okay with my decision....? She told me....that being with you made her the happiest she had ever been in a really long time....and I ruined that...." she tried fighting back the urge to cry. Keiichi wrapped his arms around her, holding her in a comforting manner. "Hey....remember what Rika-chan said? Rena will be back soon. When she comes back, you can apologize to her then. I'm sure she'll understand if you explain it to her."

"Yeah...you're right...."

Mion had already hurried home, not wanting anyone to notice that she had been crying. The Sonozaki family was a powerful family, and seeing one of their family members cry was a disgrace. Keiichi understood this, and so he didn't question her hurried departure. He left the now-empty school, and suddenly felt a chill in the air. Without Rena here beside him, he felt the same way as he did when he first moved to Hinamizawa: alone, and lost. He was mentally praying to himself, hoping that wherever Rena was, she was alright. And that wherever she was, she would return soon. He missed her. He missed her so much. And he knew that if she didn't return soon, the feeling of loneliness and being lost would never go away.

Keiichi noticed a car parked along the side of the path. What were they doing there? Cars didn't usually wait along the side of a road....unless they were waiting for somebody they knew would be coming down that road. He gulped, and continued to walk to his house, trying his best to ignore the car. His hopes were soon crushed as he heard the window roll down as he passed the car.

"Excuse me, son. Are you Keiichi Maebara?" an older, sort of rough voice asked as he was walking away. He paused in his footsteps. So the car was waiting for him. He turned around to face the person in the car. "Yes, I am. Why?"

"Do you know a Rena Ryugu?" Hearing her name sent a slight pain through his heart. Wait a minute...this guy was asking about Rena! Maybe he had an idea on where she was?

"Y-Yeah, I do...why?" he asked. The man fumbled around through his glove compartment, and pulled out a badge. "Nice to meet you son. I'm Detective Ooishi, and I have a few questions for you concerning your friend." Uh oh. Did they find Rina's body already?! "Mind stepping into the car? It's pretty humid out, and my car has air conditioning." Well, this man was right about the weather. It was pretty humid.... Keiichi walked towards the car and opened up one of the back passenger doors, before sliding in and shutting the door behind him.

"So? What is it?" he asked. "Hmm? What is what?" Ooishi asked. "What did you want to ask about Rena?" he asked, getting a bit impatient. "Oh, that. Well, you see, as you probably already know, Rena Ryugu-san has gone missing." Great job reminding him on that fact, you damned cop. "I was wondering if you could give me some information on her."

"Information? Like what?" Keiichi asked. "Like, when and where you last saw her. Any places she would most likely turn out to be hiding. Things like that." Oh. He wanted to use Keiichi, Rena's friend, as a source. Keiichi then remembered a place she could be hiding, but reminded himself not to tell. It was just between him and Rena. Nobody else.

"Well...the last time I saw her was a couple of nights ago." "Nights?" "Yes." "Care to elaborate?"

"How so?"

"Were you and Ryugu-san in a sort of relationship?"

"Sort of."

"How intimate was this relationship?"

"We were friends. But we got kinda close. That's how far our relationship got."

"I see...continue."

"Anyway, I saw her last a couple of nights ago. It was raining pretty badly."

"Yeah, the weather has been pretty unpredictable as of late." Ooishi agreed as he pulled out a cigarette from a pack and lit it. Keiichi covered his mouth and nose, trying not to take in the fumes.

"I stopped by her house that night. She was looking kind of down lately, so I wanted to see if she was alright." He coughed, failing to prevent the smoke from entering his lungs. "Sorry about that." Ooishi rolled down his window to let out the smoke. The boy took in a few gulps of air before continuing on.

"She said that she was fine. I asked her if she was sure, and she said again that she was fine. I insisted for a few moments..." he paused, remembering the note that Rena had left him and her father.

"And?"

".....and then she sent me home."

"And that's it?"

".....yeah." He looked away, as if remembering that moment, even if it was a lie, was too painful to bear.

"I see....Alright, then. Do you mind if you tell me of any place she would most likely be hiding?" Keiichi froze. Oh, yeah. That question..... Maybe... Maybe he would feel better if he only gave him a half-truth.

"I know she loves cute things. Maybe try around a toy shop." he half-lied. Rena did like cute things, that was true. However, a toy shop wasn't where she would most likely be. Especially not when she was hiding from everybody.

"A toy shop... So, if we go off of this, then the closest place that she could be that matches your description would be at the toy shop in Okinomiya." "It seems that way..."

"....Oh. One more question--" Ooishi was cut off as his police car-radio went off.

"Ooishi-san! Ooishi-san!" a voice on the other line shouted desperately. Ooishi reached for the radio and picked it up. "This is Ooishi. What is it, Kumagai?" he asked. "You're not going to believe this! But we found ---" static cut off the message.

"Kumagai? What did you find?!" Ooishi asked, hurrying to get the information out of his partner.

"We found Rena Ryugu!" his voice broke out through the static. Keiichi's heart stopped. They....They found Rena! They found her!!

"What?!" Ooishi shouted, surprised. "Where is your location?!"

"At the old construction site! We found her--" Once again, the message was cut off. This time, however, Ooishi had hung up the radio. "Maebara-san. This may seem sudden, but do you want to come along and see your friend?" he asked. Keiichi didn't hesitate to answer.

"Yes! Oh, please yes!"

"Alright, then! Buckle up, kiddo!" he replied, starting the car. Keiichi buckled his seatbelt, trying his best to maintain composure. The car then drove off, leaving a large cloud of dust and mud behind, as the two made their way to the site where they had found her.

_Rena....! Just hang on, Rena! I'm coming!_

About ten minutes later, the car arrived at the construction site. After parking the car and turning it off, Ooishi unbuckled his seatbelt and hurried out the door. Keiichi did the same.

"Kumagai!! Kumagai, where are you?!" Ooishi called out, unable to find his partner or any others in that mess at the site. "Rena!!" Keiichi called, cupping his mouth with his hands to project his voice.

"Over here!" a voice replied, and a hand waved up in the air. The two turned to the direction of the voice, and made their way over there. "Kumagai!" Ooishi called out. "I'm right here, Ooishi-san!" he called back. Taking careful steps, Ooishi made his way down to his partner's voice. Keiichi followed, making extra careful steps. Being raised in the city, his footwork wasn't exactly at its best, even though it was the second time he had been down this way. Wait. This path seemed familiar....were they going to the hideout?! They found Rena's secret hideout?!

"Kumagai!" Ooishi exclaimed, making his way down, finally having the other cop and the hideout in site. "Ooishi-san. We....we think we found her."

"What? You think?! Why don't you know?!" he shouted. "Well..." he glanced behind him. Keiichi finally caught up just as Ooishi walked past the other man and towards the hideout.

"What's going on? Where's Rena?!" he asked, and tried to follow Ooishi but the other officer stopped him.

"Hang on, kid. We're not sure if you want to see this...."

"What are you talking about?! You found Rena! I want to see her!" he shoved his way past Kumagai and ran after Ooishi. A smile filled with worry and sadness came across his face as he neared where Rena supposedly was. Now to just go around the side of the hideout.

"Rena! Rena, I've missed you so much!" Almost there.

"I've been so worried! I--" he froze, dead in his place. The smile he just held vanished into a look of horror. His heart stopped and his skin ran cold.

"W....What the hell is this?!?!?!?!?!" he screamed, his eyes beginning to sting from forming tears. Ooishi looked disappointed, somewhat. Failure was not an option in the life of a cop. "No....NO!!!!!!" Keiichi fell to his knees, his hands covering most of his face as those tears he tried so hard to fight back broke through the dam he built by waves of emotion.

On the ground by the van -- the hideout, was a severed right arm that bore an all-too familiar, bright blue wristband.

"No....!!!! This can't be happening!!!" Keiichi continued to shout, trying to maintain his cool. Ooishi knelt down by the arm and examined it. Judging by Keiichi's reaction, something on this arm let him know whose it was.

"Maebara-san. Did Ryugu-san usually wear something blue on her wrist?" he asked calmly. Keiichi tried to stop. "Y-....Yeah.....An adorable white dress, covered in bows....and a white baret....and one of those wrist bands on each wrist....." he managed to say shakily through uneven breaths.

"Is that so.... Until we find the rest of the body, we do have to assume that she is still alive....even if the chances that she is are slim." He stood upright, trying to think of a way to make of this situation.

"Ooishi-san! Over here!" another voice rang out. An officer on shift waved Ooishi over. Ooishi made his way over, stepping over any obstacle that lay in his path. He approached the officer, and was directing his attention onto yet another gruesome discovery.

"Damn it.....things ain't lookin' good for this case...." he cursed under his breath. The two were staring at a severed leg. Like the arm, it bore some familiar clothing as well. It was wearing some black skin-tight stalkings that were torn in some places; the calf, the lining of the thigh, and the toe areas were all torn or ripped.

"What do you think we should make of this, Ooishi-san? Should we still assume that the missing persons is still alive?" the officer asked. Ooishi debating with himself on that.

"....I'm not sure anymore. We just found her arm over by some old van. And now, we find her leg? The chances of her being alive, if any, are getting slimmer and slimmer..." he knelt down by the severed limb.

"Not to mention, this leg looks pretty hacked up. It wasn't cut cleanly like the arm." he stared intently.

"Maybe whoever did this had some trouble severing it from the rest of the body?" The officer asked.

"Yeah....maybe...."

* * *

"In other news, the right arm and left leg of one Rena Ryugu have been found at the Hinamizawa Construction District. Police say that it was most likely a homicide, and that whoever committed this crime did it with cold intentions. The suspect has yet to be identified." a newsreporter announced and a photo of her appeared on screen. Groups of people were gathered at every television they could find, listening in on the news. A small murmur rose in some of them, suggesting events that could have happened. There were ideas like someone who was drunk beat her until he killed her, then tried to hide her body; some maniac arrived in town and she was unfortunate enough to run into him; she had a bad spat with someone; she was the victim of Oyashiro-sama's curse; the suggestions were endless.

"However, they can not be sure until they find the rest of the body. They have sent out a request to everybody in the area: If you have seen Rena Ryugu recently, please alert the police and tell them everything you know about it."

"Excuse me, miss. Have you seen this person lately?" Ooishi approached a woman working at the front desk of an apartment building and held up a photo of Rena. "No, I'm afraid I haven't...." she shook her head. "Oh....Sorry for taking your time. I'll be on my way now." he bowed. As he turned to leave, someone else entered the building. She looked like she could be in late high school or early college. She had brown, shoulder-length hair that seemed to be a bit feathered, blue eyes, and prescription glasses. She was carrying a bag and wore the worker's uniform of a cake shop down the street. The woman at the desk greeted her.

"Welcome back, Mamiya-san." she bowed. Ooishi approached her as well.

"Excuse me, miss. Mind if I have a word with you?" he asked. She blinked. "Of course. What could it be?"

"My name is Ooishi, and I'm a detective working on the Ryugu case." he said, presenting his badge. She tilted her head. "'Ryugu case'?" "Would you know if you had seen her somewhere?" he asked, and presented the same photo. She looked at it, examined it, and shook her head.

"No, I haven't. Why? Did something happen?" she asked, showing that she had no knowledge of anything having to do with this.

"Well, see....she went missing, and....we found a few of her body parts." He forced himself to say. She gasped and covered her mouth. "Wh-What?! That's awful!! Who would do such a thing?!" she asked, shocked in her voice. "We don't know yet....So we're asking everybody and anybody if they had seen her around. Anything would help us solve this." he sighed. "Anyway...thank you for your time." He bowed, and walked out the building. A bit shaken, she stood in her place for a moment, before managing to get herself onto the elevator to go to her room. The door shut behind her, and she pressed the button that had the floor number she was staying on. A few seconds passed, and she stepped out of the elevator once the doors opened. The expression on her face seemed forlorn, and heavy. It remained that way even as she unlocked her room with her key and stepped in. She shut the door behind her, and fell back onto her, her back pressed against the door. She stared at nothing for a while, remaining in silence. And then she began to giggle.

"Heh....Hehehehehehe....." She dropped her bag onto the floor. "Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!" Her body shook as she laughed maniacally and gasped for breath. Her sides began to hurt, and eventually she stopped. She walked over to the window, and stared down at the scene. She could see Ooishi still going around asking people at Rena Ryugu. A twisted smile creeped onto her lips.

"You're such a fool, Ooishi-san...." she chuckled, her eyes growing crazed. She leaned closer against the window. "I'm a bit surprised that you were able to find her that quickly. I never would've thought that the police were so smart. Oh, well. You found her and that's all that matters. But I wonder what you're going to do now.....I wonder?" she asked nobody in particular. Chuckling still, she left the window and went into her bathroom. She stared at the mirror, and smiled brightly. Her smile was sweet, but her eyes held a spark of darkness.

"Somehow...." One hand reached up and yanked at her hair, the other removing her glasses. The hair was pulled off, allowing a wave of short, auburn-esque locks to fall down to her shoulders. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled an even brighter smile, her eyes getting darker.

"I guess Rina-san came in handy after all...." she blinked and stared for a moment, before noticing the time on the clock hanging on the bathroom wall.

"Oh. It's supper time!" she exclaimed and left the bathroom to enter the kitchen. "Now then, I wonder what I can make tonight? I wonder? Ahehehehehe~"

* * *

**Author's Note**

Gah, I'm sooo sorry for taking so long to update! I've been grounded from the computer until I got my summer reading done, and I've had marching band camp and blagh..... Dx

Anyway, be honest people. How many of you were expecting some of the crazy stuff that went on in this chapter? I wonder how many of you noticed something off about this girl's last name? Mamiya? Kihihihi...

Oh, and I changed the arc's title from "Shouraisei-hen" to "Kokorogoroshi-hen". Why? For one: it fit better with the other arc titles, with the "shi" at the end. For two: it fit better with the story's plotline.

Kokorogoroshi-hen means 'Heart-Killing Chapter'.

This story is almost over... D;


	12. Tatari: Happiness

Humming broke through the noise of water running. The person living in the apartment was taking a shower, humming to herself as she washed her body. Warm ran over her skin, the heat allowing steam to form and build in the air. Surely, this person was happy. But why would they be happy? Because a body was found? That wasn't anything to be happy about....unless they wanted the body to be found. What purpose would that have? What good would it do?

A few moments later, the shower was turned off, and a towel was pulled in to wrap around the person's slim figure. She stepped out and dried off a bit before going into the living room. She sat down on her bed, and picked up a journal and pen that was laid there from the last time it was used. She opened the pages, and thought of something she could write in the journal, continuing yesterday's entry. The entire journal so far....

_I wonder what their reactions were when they found that note I left... Surely, they weren't pleased. But that doesn't matter now. I'm here to keep track of everything and anything I do. So then, if something were to happen to me, everybody would know of my crimes. They would know the truth._

_That's all I really want...._

_....but even so, I can't seem to bring myself to turn myself in. Something keeps stopping me. A little voice in the back of my head keeps telling me not to do it. So I don't. I'm going to keep living. ...what are these crimes I'm supposed to be guilty of, you ask? Allow me to start from the beginning._

_The first crime of all was leaving my home. I was little, and only had to because of my parent's work. I had no choice. So would I be innocent for that?_

_The second crime was allowing my mother to ruin our family. I was little, and didn't understand what was going on until it was too late. So would I be innocent for that?_

_The third crime was taking my hate out onto the world. I wasn't little anymore, and I fully understood a lot of the things I didn't before. However, that hatred I unleashed -- no, that unleashed itself, grew from the hatred of my mother and what she did. People suffered because of what she did to me. So would I be innocent for that?_

_The fourth crime was falling in love. I wasn't little anymore, but there were still some things I didn't quite understand. Love was one of them. So would I be innocent for that as well?_

_The fifth crime was killing somebody. I'm not little, and it took me a while to understand exactly what I did. But I finally got it. It was an accident, though. I had no real intentions of murdering, even the person that I did end up killing. Would I still be guilty for that crime?_

_The sixth crime was listening to the demon that took over my body. After I committed the fifth crime, the demon entered my body and manipulated my thoughts and actions. I had no control over them. I had no control over myself. Would I still be guilty for that crime?_

_The seventh crime was hiding my sin. After I committed the sixth crime, I took it upon myself to try and fix things, and to do so, I hid my sin. I was doing it to protect the happiness that I worked so hard to build. Would I still be guilty for that crime?_

_The eighth crime was letting my sin get discovered. _

_The ninth crime was allowing someone to taint themselves with my sin._

_The tenth crime was leaving that person by themselves to take care of my sin._

_The eleventh crime was attacking someone innocent._

_The twelth crime was abandoning everybody._

_The thirteenth crime was getting rid of my true identity._

_The fourteenth crime was aquiring a new identity._

_Am I really that bad of a person? I may not be innocent of everything, but does that still make me a bad person? You can't blame me for the things that I did. I did them with good intentions. There was no evil in them. So would I be innocent afterall? ....you do not know of the last part of my sins? Then let me explain. Let us start at the twelth crime._

_After committing all other crimes, I decided to run away. I left two people very dear to me a note, confessing of my crimes and the reason why I was leaving. I told them to forget about me. I doubt they have, knowing them.... Anyway, after leaving the note, I had to take something from my Papa. I had to do the very thing I hated that woman for doing... I had to steal money from him. But my intentions weren't as bad as hers. No way in hell they could ever be as bad as hers! Never! Never! Never! NEVER!_

_....I needed it so I could move away and be able to support myself for a little while. I packed some clothes and the money, and I went to my secret hiding spot to keep it there for a short while. There was something else to take care of._

_After committing the eleventh crime, I ran away from them. Delusional, I stayed in the rain, hoping that I would get sick enough to die. But then someone came along and offered a hand of salvation. They led me to a place I would be forgiven. I confessed my crimes, and asked for forgiveness. The kind person that showed me compassion said that I wouldn't truly be forgiven until I forgive myself. How could I do that? I couldn't possibly forgive myself. Not after everything I had done. So I went with my original plan and began to ran away. However, I knew running away wouldn't be enough. They would come looking for my eventually. I had to come up with a way to cover my tracks._

_So I found Rina-san's body._

_I took her right arm, as it was very similar to my own in size and skin tone. I removed a part of my usual outfit and put it on her arm, giving it the appearance of being mine. Of course, a severed arm wouldn't be enough to make a person seem dead. I had to find something else. I found her leg, the one I had trouble removing. I removed my boot and stocking, and slipped the stocking onto her leg. Being extra cautious, I took them from their hiding places and carried them to the construction site. I had to find somewhere that was easy enough to find, but still somewhat difficult to come up with. My hiding spot. I chose that hiding spot because I knew that he knew of it. If he found it....then he really would think I was dead._

_At least, that's what I hoped._

_I tossed it carelessly onto the ground beside the hideout, then went a little ways in some random direction to dispose of the other body part. I threw it a surprisingly great distant, and it went over a mound of junk. I heard it crash a few times as it tumbled down the mound before it finally landed. I went over to check to see if I was satisfied with its condition. The stocking was torn a little. It was probably snagged on some trast sticking out. Oh well. It made the illusion of assault even more convincing._

_Afterwards, in the dead of night, I snuck away on foot, and fled to the nearest town, Okinomiya. It's not exactly the safest place, since some people know me. But having only moved her about a year ago, there are bound to be some strangers....wouldn't there? It took me a long time...maybe three or four hours. But I did it. I made it to Okinomiya. Finally, it stopped raining. I entered a costume store just as it was about to close. They were in a hurry to close, so they didn't question me when I said I would like to pay for something. I got myself a brown wig that I could style, some make-up, and some realistic-looking eye glasses. It was the perfect disguise. The wig was for obvious use, the make-up would make me seem older, and Rena Ryugu doesn't wear glasses. Besides, she was supposed to be dead anyway._

_The only problem left was finding a place to stay. Hotels were expensive, and you couldn't actually live in them. Not that there was one in the area, anyway. The nearest hotel was in the next city, which took hours to get to by train. There was no way I was going to stray that far from home. Not after what happened last time. As I wandering about, I came upon a decent-looking apartment complex. This one. Right here. The one I'm living in right now as I enter this journal entry. Before I went in, I went out of sight of the desk clerk and put on the wig and glasses. The make-up would take too much time. After it was all set, I went in and asked if I could get a room. They had one available, and I paid some rent right then and there. I got my key and went up to my room. It's on the eighth floor. That's pretty high up. And luckily, I managed to find an apartment that came with furniture in the room already! I thought things were beginning to turn out for the better. After settling in, all I had to do now was find a place to work in order to get an income. Surely the money I took from Papa would run out eventually...._

_I had to come up with a name. Reina Ryugu was abandoned long ago, and Rena Ryugu was no longer safe to use. This time, I had to drop my name completely. No more Reina. No more Rena. No more Ryugu. It had to be something completely different. What was Rina-san's last name? Ahh, that's right. It was Mamiya. Now for a first name..... I always did like the name "Yui"...._

_From this moment on, I leave behind my life as "Rena Ryugu". As God himself is my witness, I am now known as Yui Mamiya. I shall be Yui Mamiya when I go to work. When I go into town. When I leave and enter the building. I will only be Rena Ryugu in my loved one's memories._

_And so, I, Yui Mamiya, am born._

After thinking for a bit, she began to write some more into the journal for the day.

_Today, I got a job. My first job. It's in a cake shoppe down the street, just a short walk from here. They had a "Help Wanted" sign and I decided to check it out. They asked how old I was; of course I lied. High school students aren't allowed to have jobs....but then, I'm not technically in high school anymore, am I? They asked what I could do, and I said that I was good at math and had a good eye for decoration. You could thank my damned mother for that talent. They put me at the front register, and even said I could help make orders that were called in. I truly, truly thought that my life was finally turning around. Things started to seem brighter....until I returned home and found Ooishi-san at the desk. What was he doing here? He was looking for someone, anyone, who had any information on someone who went missing and is apparently now dead. He dropped the bomb when he said 'Ryugu case'. I was nervous when he first started speaking to me, afraid that he was able to see through my disguise. But he just wanted to talk about Rena Ryugu's murder._

_....today was the best day of my life._

_They had found the parts I left them, just as I had hoped. Now they thought -- no, they knew, that I was dead. Rena Ryugu was dead. Dead. Dead. She's dead. She's dead. She's definitely dead! She exists no more! ....not only did they know that "I" was dead, they never even considered the thought that the body was someone else's. Rina -- no, Ritsuko Mamiya. Why did I even choose her last name, anyway? Why couldn't I have chosen something else, like....._

She paused.

_.....no. Never. I will never use that name. The name 'Akihito' will never be a part of mine. I promise this. Because of that woman....and what she did to start all of this._

With that, she closed the journal and fell backwards onto the bed. Rena stared up at the ceiling, deep in thought. She wondered about everybody she left behind in Hinamizawa. Were they missing her? Were they thinking about her? Was Keiichi thinking about her....?

".....don't look back....no, Yui...." she muttered to herself. "Yui" was a name she would have to get used to using. ".....don't think about the old days....they'll only break your heart even more than it is now....."

Her eyes shut, and even though she told herself not to think about those days, she did anyway. She missed the fun, happy times she shared with everybody. She missed the time she spent with her Papa, and with Keiichi....her Keiichi.... She could feel tears coming to her eyes. Snapping out of it, her eyes opened and she wiped them away.

"No...! No.... I won't cry... There's nothing....that I have to cry about.... I'm happy living here..." she looked out the window, staring up at the stars that were dimmed by the city lights. "....I'm happy...."

* * *

"Welcome!" the entire cake shop staff greeted as the front door opened. Rena giggled as she walked in.

"Good morning, everybody~" She set down her bag in the employee's breakroom, grabbed her apron, and pulled it over her head, tying it behind her. A female co-worker walked in.

"Hey, Mamiya-san --"

"Please, Hanabiku-san. Call me Yui-chan. You are my senpai, afterall~" Rena grinned brightly. The co-worker laughed.

"Alright. Yui-chan, something came up and I have to leave early. Could you cover my shift?" "Oh? What could have happened?" "Oh, just some family things. My obaa-san's getting a bit old, so we're really worried about her."

"There's nothing I can do then....." she looked down sadly. The co-worker cocked her head with an "ehh?". Without warning, Rena looked back up at her with a cheerful beam radiating off of her face.

"Of course I'll cover your shift! You go and make sure your obaa-san is alright."

"Oh, thank you so much, Yui-chan~!" the co-worker glomped her and nuzzled her, much in the same manner Rena herself did when she was obsessing over how cute someone was. She mentally shook off those thoughts, and laughed. The co-worker left in a hurry after ridding herself of her apron, and Rena stepped out of the breakroom. She stepped behind the counter and stood beside another co-worker who was busy decorating a cake.

"Good morning, Gochima-kun~" she beamed, turning on the register. He replied with a grin and a "Good morning!". Everything here was so cheerful and bright. All of the people working here were very nice and fun, and the cakes they made her not only delicious, but they were beautiful as well. It was like a dream job. Rena turned on the register just as a customer walked in to buy some of their desserts.

_See? You couldn't have been able to do this if you continued living as "Rena". ....you've finally achieved the happiness you worked so hard to get.... You're really...really happy...._

"Hey, Yui-chan~" Gochima poked her arm. "What is it, Gochima-kun?" Rena asked, glancing over at him as she worked the register from their last purchase. He was pretty young. He probably just graduated high school. He was pretty funny, too, and kind, and sweet. Rena had taken a sort of liking to him.

"I know you've only been working here for little over a week, but it seems like you've managed to fit in pretty well." She giggled. "Well, that's because everybody has been so very nice to me. Where I used to live, people were nice as well, so I felt right at home." she explained, and paused, as in her thoughts of her old life. She stared off into nothingness, remembering all of the good times she had. But then she mentally scolded herself, and went back to smiling.

"That's good to hear. Though, I can't imagine how anyone could be a jerk to you." Gochima said. She looked away, remembering certain people in her life that she hated. They might not have been "jerks" per se.... but they all did something to hurt her.

"Because, you know, you're really cute."

"E-Ehh?" She looked back at him, blushing slightly, her eyes wide. He smiled warmly. "I mean it, Yui-chan. You're so cute, especially when you get flustered over something so small. You must have been adored a lot in your old town."

"Yeah....I guess I was...."

"Yui-chan."

"Yes, Gochima-kun?"

"Would you like to go out on a date with me?" She froze in shock. Her head turned sharply to look at him. He....was being serious. He really did just ask her out on a date! Her eyes widened as something in the back of her head reminded her of something.

_"Keiichi-kun...." she murmured quietly, her body snuggling into his. He smiled, his arms wrapping tighter around her. "Yes, Rena? What is it?" he asked in a similar tone. "Can you promise, that we will stay this way?" This caught his attention. "What do you mean, Rena?"_

_"I mean, like this. Just the two of us, not needing anyone else." she began, the top of her head nuzzling into his jaw as she had done so before. "Being together and being happy, forever." As she cooed that last part, she placed a gentle kiss upon his jaw, seeing as how it was the closest thing of skin she was near to. Keiichi thought about that for a moment. Could they? Could they truly be together and happy? Forever? He pondered this for a moment._

_"Yes. We will stay this way. Always."_

_Always....._

"Sorry. I can't." she stated bluntly, the look she held on her face now was neutral. He blinked, surprised by her sudden rejection. "You see.... I'm kind of already seeing somebody."

"Oh...I see...."

"So, I can't. I hope we can still be friends, though --"

"Nawh, it's cool. I totally understand. You don't have to apologize. I do envy the guy you're seeing, though...Aheheh." he chuckled. She smiled faintly, glad he understood. Her eyes lost a bit of their brightness, though. Why did she have to remind herself of that, that moment that was bliss but now only seemed painful? How could Rena Ryugu and Keiichi Maebara stay together forever when Rena Ryugu no longer existed?

_I'm sorry..... Keiichi-kun......_

* * *

"Keiichi, where are you going?" A worried Mrs. Maebara asked. She caught her son just as he was walking out the front door. "I'm going out, Mom. I won't be back until later." he replied, irritated. "I'm worried about where you're going, Keiichi. ....are you doing drugs or smoking or something like that?"

"No, Mom. Why would I want to do something as stupid as that? I'm just going to think."

"I was just asking....you've been like this ever since they found Rena-chan..." Hearing that name....it broke his heart. "If there's something you want to talk about, I'm here to listen --"

"Leaving now!" He shouted and slammed the door behind him, startling his mother. Where was Keiichi going? To be alone. To be away from everybody. To be in a place where there were happy memories. After a bit, he found himself at the old construction site. Every and any sign of the police was gone. The site felt just as empty and abandoned as it was before Rena found it. After that day about a week ago.... he forced himself to come here every evening, to cherish and remember that day of the festival. Climbing down the mounds of junk, he took cautious steps to make sure he didn't slip or land on anything sharp or hazardous. Finally, he found the van. A few moments passed before he managed to approach it, with all of the obstacles in his way,and he opened the back window, the doorway to inside the oasis of calm in a world of chaos.

He crawled in and shut the door, in turn shutting out the rest of the world. The crying of the evening cicadas muted into silence, and the sun seemed to gradually die away. He fell onto his back, staring up at the ceiling where Rena had put up a map of the constellations. He remained that way for a moment, before turning his head to look at the giant stuffed bear he won for her at the festival.

_"Come on, Rena! It's getting dark! Everybody will start to wonder where the hell we are!" Keiichi called from outside. "Hauu....But Mr. Bear is too big.... I could barely get him in, and now I can't get him out...! Hauu...." Rena, who had grown flustered, frowned slightly and called back from inside the van. She didn't want to leave the bear he won for her? _

_"I see.... Well, if you want, you can leave him there!"_

_"E-Ehh? Leave Mr. Bear all by himself? All by himself?" her head poked out from the open window. He grinned. "He won't be by himself. He'll have friends in there with him," he referred to the dolls that were also inside. "...and he'll be anxious to see you smiling again when you come back." She blushed, then smiled._

_  
"Alright....if Keiichi-kun thinks so....then Rena agrees. Mr. Bear will be fine..." Her head disappeared back into the van, and she propped him up against the wall. "Goodnight, Mr. Bear. I'll be back soon, I promise~" she cooed softly, kissing his forehead. A moment later, she, too, left the van and joined Keiichi outside. Hand-in-hand, the two scaled the hill of garbage back onto the path, and vanished into the growing darkness as they returned to the festival._

"Hey, Mr. Bear......did Rena ever come back to see you...? At least one last time?" he asked in a sorrowful, low voice. His gaze never left the bear until he finally got sick of looking at it. "What the hell am I saying....I'm talking to a toy for crying out loud....!" he cursed under his breath, looking away. A sigh left his lips before he sat up and stared out the side window. ".........what happened to you, Rena?"

He knew he would never get an answer. Not from her. Never again.

Sometime later, when it had grown dark out, Keiichi finally let the van. He bid Mr. Bear farewell, and climbed out of the site. The evening cicadas' buzzing had turned into crickets' chirping while he was lost in that world of nostalgia. It was starting to get late. He knew his mother would scold him if he wasn't back home in time.

_Rena's house is on the way to mine.....I wonder if I should stop by and see how her dad is doing... This is one of those times where you need as much comfort as you can get...._

Part-way down the road, Keiichi changed directions and headed towards the Ryugu house. He stared down at the ground, not having the strength to look up. The night was hot, not cool like it usually was. Nothing felt the same ever since Rena....was found....

"Ehh...?" he paused in his footsteps, and found something at his feet. "A....dying higurashi?" he blinked. He watched as it struggled to get off of its back and as it flailed its little arms, making every sad attempt to chirp one last time. *chirp*.....*chirp*...........*chirp*..........................*chi--* It stopped moving. He pitied the higurashi. But only briefly. Something took him out of his thoughts.

"You bastard!!" a rough voice shouted and something crashed. He looked up ahead of him, and found that it came....from Rena's house. He hurried down the path, stepping over the dead higurashi. That voice wasn't familiar, and it was coming from Rena's house. So, who was it? Who was it?! When her house came into view, he stopped, and ran into the shadows, hiding behind a tree. A stranger was standing over Mr. Ryugu, who was on the ground cowering in fear, both under the dim light of the garage.

"How dare you lay a hand on my woman!" he shouted. "I-I'm sorry...! If I had known she was already with someone....!" he replied in a pathetic voice. "Do you really think 'sorry's gonna make it all better?! Where is she?! Where's Ritsuko?!"

Keiichi froze, his eyes widening.

_I found something out about Rina-san a few days ago. She was working with another man, whose name I currently do not know, and together they played a badger game on poor, pathetic men looking for money. Her real name is Ritsuko. Not your precious "Rina". She chose you, Papa, as her next target in their scam. When I went into town to pick up the jackets the other day, the clerk said that their shipment truck was delayed, and so I stayed in a cafe until it arrived. By chance, Ritsuko and that man she was with were in the same cafe, just a few tables away in a booth that was away from sight. I witnessed their abuse on two men, pressuring them for money they've apparently loaned them. The man seemed violent and tough. At first, I didn't know it was "Rina-san". I couldn't see her that clearly. The man talked to her about her "Hinamizawa hubby", which confused me a bit at first. She said that "he was loaded", and that "when his wife divorced him, she felt guilty for leaving him and their kid, so she left him a bunch of compensation money." I found that part interesting. As you well know, Hinamizawa is a small town. We know everything about everybody. And when I heard that, the only person that could come to mind that fit their description was me and my family. I didn't want to believe it, so I denied it. But then I saw her when she and the man left, and I knew. I knew for sure. It was Rina-san._

That....that was the man from Rena's final message! That was him! He fit the description perfectly! He was violent and tough, and he knew a 'Ritsuko'....and he was harrassing Rena's father, who was Rina-san's boyfriend! It all fit!

_He.....He's the....._

"I'll be back by tomorrow morning!" he bent down and grabbed Mr. Ryugu by the collar, pulling him up to eye level. The poor man flinched, and in the light, Keiichi could see some bruises and scrapes on his body. His glasses were dropped onto the ground. "If you don't give back Ritsuko....you'll have to start paying!"

"P-Please.....I don't know where she is..! And I've just lost my beloved daughter! My precious, precious Rena! ....why can't you just leave me be?!" he pleaded. The man threw him down onto the ground and spat on him. Mr. Ryugu shook in fear and pain, cowering still.

"This world sucks, doesn't it? You have to do what you can to survive. And if I were you, man, I'd start paying. Unless you _want_ to die..." he snarled, before kicking the man's side and began to walk down the path. Keiichi, still in the shadows, couldn't believe the sight he had just seen. His body was still frozen, trying to take in everything that just happened. Finally....hate took over his heart.

_That bastard.... He's the reason why Rena is.... Damn him.... Damn him...!!!!!!_

Mr. Ryugu picked up his slightly bent glasses and tried to place him upon his nose....but he broke down crying in the process. "Why.....why is all of this happening....." he sobbed quietly. Suddenly, the cry stopped. He snapped his head over his shoulder, reacting to a noise. Something....just ran by him....in the bushes. Maybe it was a cat, or some other kind of animal....but it was definitely there.

The man, Teppei Houjou, was walking down the path, about ten minutes away from the Ryugu house. One hand reached into his pocket and pulled out his lighter, the other hand a cigarette. He placed the cigarette between his lips and was about to light it when he heard a rustle in the bushes along the path he was walking on.

"Who's there?" he growled. Keiichi hid behind a group of bushes. He peeked through the leaves, watching the blonde man that had fault in Rena's fate.

_Just a little more....come on...._

Teppei shrugged it off, thinking it was just a cat, and proceeded to walk along the trail. Keiichi followed on his tiptoes, surprisingly matching the man's footsteps.

_Do it....Come on, do it, you bastard...._

He reached up and lit his lighter, and pulled it up to his cigarette.

"AAAARGH!!!!!!!"

A yell came from behind him, but it was too late. Keiichi charged and tackled him, knocking him off balance and forcing the lighter onto his face. As expected, the flame went in between the eyes, burning the flesh terribly. "AAAUGH GOD DAMNIT!!" Teppei screamed, dropping the lighter and cigarette and covering his face. "What the hell was that?! God damnit!!!" he continued to scream, growling in agonizing pain. Once again, he was tackled, and this time he was forced onto the ground. His face was shoved into the dirt, pressing against the burn.

"Damn it, who the hell are you?!" he shouted at his attacker, trying to regain his vision. He heard footsteps beginning to walk away, and something was being picked up. The man managed to turn himself over and open his eyes enough to see who it was. It was a teenager, maybe about sixteen or seventeen. And in his hands, he held....a rock. A large rock, about the size of a football. And he had it raised above his head.

"THE HELL?!" was all he was able to say. Keiichi swung down the rock onto his skull. He heard a crack, and blood sprayed out from the head. His breath was heavy and he pulled the rock away. Was it over?

....no. The man was still moving. Damn him! Damn him!

"Damn you!!" Keiichi shouted, and swung down the rock once more. He heard a groan of pain upon impact, but it still wasn't enough. He repeated this action, beating his head in with that rock again and again until he had long been silenced. One more hit, and this would all be over.

"DAMN YOU!!!" he raised the rock high above his head, and threw it down forcefully. His arms were tired. His back was tired. His legs were tired. His shoulders were tired. And now his clothing and hands had been stained red with blood. But....he didn't care. This man that helped ruin Rena's life was dead. He was dead. He was dead. He was dead. Keiichi's head suddenly looked up at the sky.

"Rena...! Wherever you are, you can rest peacefully now! This selfish bastard is dead now! He's dead! You don't have to worry about your father anymore! He's free! And you're free!" he shouted to the heavens, a crazed smile plastered upon his face. A light breeze and some crickets' chirping were his only replies. His heart began to sink. That smile began to fade.

"....please.....Don't leave me...." he pleaded in a small, pathetically weak voice. Tears began to come to his eyes. ".....show me a sign....any sign...! Anything to tell me that you're happy now, wherever you are......" Those tears began to stream down his face. His fingers twitched and his knees grew weak. They gave out, and he fell onto his hands and knees.

"Please.............answer me......." The blood was seeping through his clothes, making his skin wet and his clothes stick. There was no way he could hide this mess. The body, maybe. But how was he going to explain to his mother the blood all over him? He could say he was injured, but there was no injury that could make someone lose that much blood without it being fatal!

_Think, Keiichi Maebara, think! What are you going to do?! You just killed someone! _

_Calm down.....Keep your cool...._

A warped, toothy grin etched itself onto his face. His eyes widened, his pupils dialating.

_You've gotten away with something before....you can do it again....!_

_Do you think think I can?_

_Of course. After all....nothing is impossible for Keiichi Maebara._

_I guess....you're right._

"Heh.......Heheheheh...."

* * *

**Author's Note**

Oh, my. Looks like Kei-chan's gonna lose it..... Kihihihihi....

To answer any questions, no, Gochima-kun is not going to be a problem person. For one thing, there's only 3 chapters of this story left, so there wouldn't be enough room to make him screw up badly. Haha. For another, he was just there to show how comfortable her life is now, and that she made that promise with Kei-chan about being together forever. It's sad....

I really wasn't planning on Kei-chan killing anybody. I just decided that Teppei, that jerk, should die. I did originally think that Rena should see him walking past the cake-shop asking people around for Ritsuko, since he hasn't seen her in a week, and that she should get really, really pissed and end up just killing him. It would work, right? Haha, no. I realized something in the actual arcs:

Only ONE person mentally loses it at a time. There really aren't any arcs where more than one person is delusional. How about a nice change for that? :D

And, finally..... OHMYGOD ONLY 3 CHAPTERS LEFT!!!! D8 *panic*


	13. Moushiwake: Hope

The first time, I do my best  
Against the tragedy I wasn't able to avoid.

The second time, I am shocked  
At the tragedy I wasn't able to avoid.

The third time, the shock passes and it becomes pain.  
But the seventh time, it slowly becomes a comedy.

* * *

"Ahh, Keiichi! Welcome ho --" his mother was about to greet him as he took off his shoes when she saw his clothing. She walked over to him in a hurry and examined him. "What on earth did you do?!" she gasped. He grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"Nyahahaha.... On my way back, I accidentally slipped on some dirt that was still wet. It was a big freakin' puddle, too. Sorry I got mud all over me, Mom. I'll go wash up," he said, waving and going upstairs. He went to the upstairs bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. Just as he had hoped, there was no trace of blood. None that was apparent, anyway. After washing his hands and ridding them of any filth, he turned on the shower and waited for the water to get to a satisfying warmth. When it reached that point, he stripped himself of his socks, shorts, tank, and vest, and pulled aside the curtain as he stepped in, leaving the discarded clothing all over the floor. He stood there, allowing the warm water to run over his body and wash away everything that remained upon his skin. Lost in his thoughts, he looked down at his hands. The very hands he had just used to kill somebody and then hide his crime. The memories were all too clear.

_"DAMN YOU!!!" he raised the rock high above his head, and threw it down forcefully. His arms were tired. His back was tired. His legs were tired. His shoulders were tired. And now his clothing and hands had been stained red with blood. But....he didn't care. This man that helped ruin Rena's life was dead. He was dead. He was dead. He was dead. Keiichi's head suddenly looked up at the sky._

_"Rena...! Wherever you are, you can rest peacefully now! This selfish bastard is dead now! He's dead! You don't have to worry about your father anymore! He's free! And you're free!" he shouted to the heavens, a crazed smile plastered upon his face. A light breeze and some crickets' chirping were his only replies. His heart began to sink. That smile began to fade._

_"....please.....Don't leave me...." he pleaded in a small, pathetically weak voice. Tears began to come to his eyes. ".....show me a sign....any sign...! Anything to tell me that you're happy now, wherever you are......" Those tears began to stream down his face. His fingers twitched and his knees grew weak. They gave out, and he fell onto his hands and knees._

_"Please.............answer me......." The blood was seeping through his clothes, making his skin wet and his clothes stick. There was no way he could hide this mess. The body, maybe. But how was he going to explain to his mother the blood all over him? He could say he was injured, but there was no injury that could make someone lose that much blood without it being fatal! _

_Think, Keiichi Maebara, think! What are you going to do?! You just killed someone! _

_Calm down.....Keep your cool...._

_A warped, toothy grin etched itself onto his face. His eyes widened, his pupils dialating._

_You've gotten away with something before....you can do it again....!_

_Do you think think I can?_

_Of course. After all....nothing is impossible for Keiichi Maebara._

_I guess....you're right._

_"Heh.......Heheheheh...."_

_Immediately, he lept onto his feet. His eyes stared down at the body that lay in front of him, his mind comtemplating what to do. For now, all he could do was pull the body aside and hide it deep in the trees and bushes on the side of the path. He had to make sure it was far enough that nobody would notice it. Things would get pretty bad if someone were to find it too quickly. _

_He bent down and grabbed the corpse by the arms. He pulled and yanked it off of the path and behind the bushes. Damn it, this guy was heavy. He already knew this task wouldn't be easy, but....would it really be this hard?!_

_Don't give up, Keiichi! Remember, Rena worked so much harder than this! Don't just give up because you think it's too hard! Do it for Rena! For Rena!!_

_Mentally encouraging himself, he mustered up all of his strength and pushed himself even harder than before. Surely, Rena had a much harder time that this. He had to prove that he could be as strong as her. He had to do it for her, so she couldn't see how weak he was. He wanted her to be proud of him for not giving up. He wanted her to be proud of him for being strong. But most of all, he wanted her to be proud of him for making her happy. Finally, happy. His mind seemed to have wandered for a bit, because he suddenly found himself nowhere near the path. He looked at his surroundings, to make sure this place was remote and out of the way enough before leaving that bastard's body here. There were no trails in the area. Nobody was living around here. He would be surrounded by foliage no matter what direction you looked. He would never be found._

_Perfect._

_As he was walking back, he noticed the drag marks going towards the place he left the body. Damn it. How was he going to cover those? Dirt? Dirt seemed to be the only option for now. As he walked back, he kicked up random things of dirt and grass and the drag marks started to go away. By the time he reached the path, there was no trace of murder here. Except for that rock. It was covered in blood. The ground was as well. He could kick more dirt over the blood, but what about the rock? He picked up the bloodied rock and threw it into the bushes. There. That was taken care of. Dirt was spread over the blood on the path until it vanished completely. He started to walk home, when he finally realized the *squish* *squish* sounds coming from his clothing as he walked. That's right. His clothes were stained with that man's blood. How was he going to cover this one? Just as he asked himself that, his foot got caught on a rock and he fell face-down into wet soil. It was as if it was a sign from God himself. He found himself covered in mud, and was a bit pissed at first. But then he realized that the blood was also being covered. He sneered. Everything had worked out perfectly._

_Just perfectly._

"I wonder....if this is what Rena felt when she...." he murmured to himself. Now he understood. He understood exactly what Rena was feeling. To kill someone to make another truly happy, and then to go through so much to make sure their sin isn't found........no, that was a lie. He didn't really understand how she felt. She did it by accident. She had no bad intentions. He, on the otherhand.....

His fists tightened and he suddenly grew pissed off. Those fists released themselves and he grabbed his hair, frusterated.

"Damn it....why did it have to happen to her?!" he asked nobody in particular. A knock made him snap out of it.

"Oi, Keiichi. You alright in there?" The voice belonged to his dad. "Yeah, I'm fine, Dad!" he called out as he turned off the shower, now void of any blood or dirt. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist, stepped out of the shower and went to answer the door.

"Why?" he asked upon seeing his father. "Your mother was just concerned. That's all." he said. He then began to tear up, and looked away. Keiichi blinked, surprised by his father's actions.

"W-What? What's wrong?" he asked. It took him a moment to get a response. His father looked back at him, a bubbly and flustered face plastered on.

"My son.....over the years he had grown slimmer and slimmer and eventually...." he made a dramatic pose and reached for the heavens. "He has sculpted himself into something with such beauty that it would rival even the greatest works of art!!"

"E.....EHH??"

"I remember when you were just a lad....you were so short and chubby...you waddled whenever you walked... But now! Now, you've become a man! A beautiful, beautiful man!!!! --"

"Shut up, you pervert!!" he shouted, his face blushing. True, he had grown more muscle over the years. And actually, he thought he was in better shape than he was in the city. But....did his dad really have to be so overly-dramatic over it??

"Please! Don't dress just yet!"

"WHAT?!"

"I want to use you as a model for my next painting! It will truly be a masterpiece that would move even the toughest of men to pathetic tears!!!"

"NO WAY IN HELL, OLD MAN!!" Keiichi covered his chest in a sort of girly way, as if trying to hide his breasts. ...which he was. He was about to flee back into the bathroom when his dad spoke.

"Oh yeah, by the way...."

"What is it now?" he sighed, getting annoyed. "Are you free tomorrow after school?"

"I...should be. Why?" he asked. "Your mother ordered something from town that she thinks would help brighten up the mood we've been having lately."

"Really? What did she get?" he asked, curious.

"She ordered a cake from a shop in Okinomiya. They're supposed to be really delicious, and really well-decorated." "......this 'cake shop' wouldn't happened to be called 'Angel Mort', would it, Dad?" he asked, unamused. "No, it's not. Something like 'Heaven's Delight'. Anyway, your mother is really busy tomorrow, so she can't get it herself. Could you?"

"Sure....I'll go." he said. Well, now he had something to do tomorrow besides hanging out at Rena's old hiding spot....

* * *

"Ehh?? Kei-chan, where do you think you're going?" Mion asked the next day after school had ended. Keiichi was in a hurry to pack. "Sorry, guys. I have to do something today."

"Mii, what could it be, good sir?" Rika asked, tilting her head. "I have to go into town to pick up a cake." "Ohohohohoho~ My, my, Keiichi-san. I never knew your obsession over cakes and maids went _that _far~!" Satoko laughed.

"That's not it!! My mom ordered it and she's too busy to pick it up herself! Damn it, you really are one cheeky brat!" Keiichi flicked Satoko's head. "Owowowowow, you beeeaast!!!" Satoko cried. She was only comforted by Rika's pat on her head. Rena wasn't around to protect her anymore.

"There, there, good sir. You mustn't make fun of Keiich for doing a nice favor for his mom." She scolded. Mion sighed. "Man....things have been getting pretty boring around here..."

"Yeah....you were wrong, Rika....Rena-san won't come back. Didn't you hear Chie-sensei?" Satoko asked. Rika looked determined. "Mii! Rena will definitely come back! It's been decided!"

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room got sour.

"Please stop, Rika-chan... It's too much..." Mion pleaded. "We all know what happened. She's not coming back, as painful as it is to say...."

"You're wrong! Rena will come back! I know she will!" "Rika, please stop...! You're making Keiichi-san upset!" Rika slammed the desk she was sitting at. No longer would she speak in such a sweet manner. "Tell me why you all don't think she will! Have you all given up hope on your friend?! That isn't what friends do! They wait and wait for however long it takes for one member of their group to come back! So, tell me! Tell me why you doubt her return!!"

".....because she's dead."

Keiichi's voice finally joined in. Rika froze, her eyes widening. She apparently hadn't heard. She was so determined to convince everybody and herself that their friend would come back, that she completely ignored Chie-sensei when she had to break the news. She refused to listen at the time, and continued living in her own hopeful world.

".....last week. I was walking home after class when I was stopped by Detective Ooishi-san." he began. "He asked me some questions about Rena. I answered them the best I could. Suddenly, an officer came onto the radio of Ooishi-san's car..."

_"Ooishi-san! Ooishi-san!" a voice on the other line shouted desperately. Ooishi reached for the radio and picked it up. "This is Ooishi. What is it, Kumagai?" he asked. "You're not going to believe this! But we found ---" static cut off the message._

_"Kumagai? What did you find?!" Ooishi asked, hurrying to get the information out of his partner._

_"We found Rena Ryugu!" his voice broke out through the static. Keiichi's heart stopped. They....They found Rena! They found her!!_

_"What?!" Ooishi shouted, surprised. "Where is your location?!"_

_"At the old construction site! We found her--" Once again, the message was cut off. This time, however, Ooishi had hung up the radio. "Maebara-san. This may seem sudden, but do you want to come along and see your friend?" he asked. Keiichi didn't hesitate to answer._

_  
"Yes! Oh, please yes!"_

_"Alright, then! Buckle up, kiddo!" he replied, starting the car. Keiichi buckled his seatbelt, trying his best to maintain composure. The car then drove off, leaving a large cloud of dust and mud behind, as the two made their way to the site where they had found her._

_Rena....! Just hang on, Rena! I'm coming!_

_About ten minutes later, the car arrived at the construction site. After parking the car and turning it off, Ooishi unbuckled his seatbelt and hurried out the door. Keiichi did the same._

_  
"Kumagai!! Kumagai, where are you?!" Ooishi called out, unable to find his partner or any others in that mess at the site. "Rena!!" Keiichi called, cupping his mouth with his hands to project his voice._

_"Over here!" a voice replied, and a hand waved up in the air. The two turned to the direction of the voice, and made their way over there. "Kumagai!" Ooishi called out. "I'm right here, Ooishi-san!" he called back. Taking careful steps, Ooishi made his way down to his partner's voice. Keiichi followed, making extra careful steps. Being raised in the city, his footwork wasn't exactly at its best, even though it was the second time he had been down this way. Wait. This path seemed familiar....were they going to the hideout?! They found Rena's secret hideout?!_

_"Kumagai!" Ooishi exclaimed, making his way down, finally having the other cop and the hideout in site. "Ooishi-san. We....we think we found her."_

_"What? You think?! Why don't you know?!" he shouted. "Well..." he glanced behind him. Keiichi finally caught up just as Ooishi walked past the other man and towards the hideout._

_"What's going on? Where's Rena?!" he asked, and tried to follow Ooishi but the other officer stopped him._

_  
"Hang on, kid. We're not sure if you want to see this...."_

_"What are you talking about?! You found Rena! I want to see her!" he shoved his way past Kumagai and ran after Ooishi. A smile filled with worry and sadness came across his face as he neared where Rena supposedly was. Now to just go around the side of the hideout._

_"Rena! Rena, I've missed you so much!" Almost there._

_"I've been so worried! I--" he froze, dead in his place. The smile he just held vanished into a look of horror. His heart stopped and his skin ran cold. _

_  
"W....What the hell is this?!?!?!?!?!" he screamed, his eyes beginning to sting from forming tears. Ooishi looked disappointed, somewhat. Failure was not an option in the life of a cop. "No....NO!!!!!!" Keiichi fell to his knees, his hands covering most of his face as those tears he tried so hard to fight back broke through the dam he built by waves of emotion._

_On the ground by the van -- the hideout, was a severed right arm that bore an all-too familiar, bright blue wristband._

"Kei-chan....."

"I was there....I was right there when they found her....well, some of her...." he looked down. "When the cop on the radio said they found her....I was so happy...I thought, I would see her again...." He then looked away. "......but at that moment, all of my hopes were crushed...."

He stood up. "Anyway...I gotta go. I'm sorry for ruining your hopes, Rika-chan. But that's just the cold truth." The only male in the group then left, leaving the three girls in silence. Rika couldn't believe it.....Rena.....was dead? No, that wasn't right! That couldn't be right! .....but Keiichi had seen it with his own eyes. He could confirm it. She was gone. And she was gone forever.

It took a little while for Keiichi to go home, change, and get his bike to go to Okinomiya. By the time he finally arrived in town, the sun was beginning to set, splashing the sky in shades of yellow, red, and orange. "Now, then....where is that shop Dad said? 'Heaven's Delight'?" he asked himself, walking his bike on the side-walk. There were so many people here...maybe he could ask one of them to give him directions. He spotted a young woman leaving a store and ran up to her.

"Excuse me, Miss!" she stopped and turned to look at him. "I'm looking for a store. I believe it's called 'Heaven's Delight'. Could you please tell me where it is?" he asked. She blinked. "....you're right in front of it, my dear boy."

"Ehh?" he turned to look beside him and found that he was standing right in front of the cake shop. "Ahh.... Nyahahaha... Thanks, Miss!" he grinned sheepishly. "No problem. Have a nice day~" she waved and turned around to leave. He propped his bike in a bike-rack in front of the store and walked in. As he opened the door, a little bell rang.

"Welcome~!" the entire staff greeted as he stepped in. There was a girlish-looking woman at the register, punching in some numbers from a recent purchase. "Welcome! Are you here to pick up an order?" she greeted, still looking at the register in front of her.

"Yeah, probably under 'Maebara'." The cashier froze. Maebara.....There was no way....! She looked up and found Keiichi standing in front of the counter. "M-'Maebara'?" she repeated. "Yeah. My mom ordered it yesterday."

"Ahh, 'Maebara'! We have your cake back here!" one of the co-workers called from the bakery part of the shop. A young man with a nametag that read "Hiro Gochima" came out with a white box that held the cake. He placed it on the counter beside the register.

"So, how much will this be?" Keiichi asked. "About two-thousand yen." Gochima replied. "Gotcha." Keiichi reached into his pocket to grab his wallet and retrieve the money his mother gave him to pay for the cake. As he pulled out his wallet, his key-ring fell out and onto the tile. He bent down to pick them up. There were his house-key, a bike-lock key, and a little fuzzy seal that he made for homework a long time ago. The cashier's eyes widened at seeing the seal.

"U-Uhm....That's a pretty cute key-chain..." she chuckled nervously. He stood up, and grinned shyly. "Heh....I had to make it for a homework assignment a while back.... I still have it now because it reminds me of someone important to me...." his voice trailed off. The cashier looked down a little.

"........that key-chain reminds me of someone I knew that was important to me, too...." she said softly. He paused. Something about her....was familiar. ...nawh, it was probably just a coincidence. He opened his wallet and pulled out two one-thousand yen slips and handed them to the cashier. She snapped out of it and put the slips into the register, and got out his change. She reached over the counter to drop them into his hands. Her fingertips lightly and barely brushed against his palm when she let the yen coins drop into his hands, and her heart skipped a beat. How she missed him....She missed him so, so much....But now she couldn't do anything. Because she was no longer "Rena Ryugu". Because "Rena Ryugu" was dead.

"Thank you." Keiichi placed the coins into his wallet and put his wallet and keys back into his pocket. Damn it...he was leaving now! She had to find some way to spend just a little more time with him! Even for just a second longer!

"Uh...I don't think I've ever seen you before. Do you live around here?" she asked. "Actually, I do. I live in Hinamizawa, and it's a little ways away. Why?" "Well....because....I was wondering if you needed help getting the cake delivered..." she responded shyly. She did have a point. It was be difficult to balance the box of cake while he was riding his bike....

"Hmm....you do have a point...." Keiichi thought for a moment. "If you'd like...." He looked up at the cashier as she spoke. "You....you could wait until the delivery truck comes by to pick up some orders...."

"Actually, I think I might do that." He grinned. She smiled warmly and nodded. "Alright. We'll need your address so the truck knows where to go." That was lie. She already knew where he lived. But she couldn't let him know that. Not yet. He wrote down his house address and handed it to the cashier.

"Thanks. Though, I kinda wish I had known that before riding my bike all the way over here.... Hehehe...." he grinned. She giggled, blushing a little. "Well, it was still a good experience. I believe that you're a good person, Maebara-san." That felt weird, calling him 'Maebara-san' when she used to call him 'Keiichi-kun'. "Please come back soon, okay?"

"I think I might come back tomorrow, actually. There's something about the aura in this place that really lifted my spirits. Plus, I'd like to try some more of your cakes." He gave her a thumbs up. She laughed. "Oh, but if you do that, wouldn't you get all fat and p-p-puddgy~?" She froze. Crap! She just blew some of her cover!

"Ahahaha~ That was funny. For a second, you just reminded me of a friend of mine. She said the exact same thing." He turned around to leave and stopped in the doorway. He looked over his shoulder at the cashier. "I'll definitely be back tomorrow. So expect me to show up, uhh...." he paused. What was her name?

"Yui. Just call me Yui." she grinned. "Alright then, Yui-chan. I'll see you tomorrow." Keiichi waved as he stepped of the restaurant. She watched through the windows as he got onto his bike and rode off. Gochima picked up the cake from the counter and put it back into the fridge where it would stay cold. Rena continued to stare at the window. Keiichi would be back tomorrow....She had to hold on at least that long. Just a little longer....

* * *

"I'm leaving for the night now~" Rena called out as she left the breakroom. Gochima approached her. "Do you need me to walk you home, Yui-chan?" "No thank you, Gochima-kun. I only live a few minutes away. I think I can handle it." she smiled sweetly as she patted the top of his head and turned to leave. "Alright....take care, okay Yui-chan?" he called as she exited the building.

"Don't worry, Gochima-kun. Good night~" she called back and then left. Today...was bitter-sweet. She had seen Keiichi....her Keiichi. But, she couldn't do anything except give him the cake and tell him they could deliver it. Of all the luck....

"No, Yui," she scolded herself, shaking her head. "Don't think like that! You're happy now, you're happy! Hauu~!"

_.......are you really?_

She thought about that question as she continued walking. After some time, she entered the apartment complex. The woman at the front desk was still there. Did she ever leave?

"Welcome back, Mamiya-san." she bowed. "Thank you, Shitori-san." Rena replied, grinning brightly. She entered the elevator and went up to her room. After locking the door behind her, she set her bag down by the doorway and removed her shoes. Time for some relaxation.... Maybe some TV will help cheer her up. She walked towards the television and turned it on, turning around to walk into the bathroom and listen to what was on.

"In relation to the Ryugu case --" They were still working on that? It had already been a week since they supposed found "Rena Ryugu". She smirked to herself, looking at her reflection in the mirror. Time to start removing her disguise. What a hassle. She removed her glasses and grabbed a washcloth as she continued to listen.

"-- no new information has come up about the whereabouts of her body. The police have gone around asking people about the last time they had seen here, but unfortunately, none of it was too recent. A Keiichi Maebara --" She froze, then brought the washcloth to her face and began to remove her make-up. "-- has told the police that he had seen her the night before she vanished, and unfortunately was one of the first to stumble upon her body. As it stands now, he is the most suspected, police say."

Keiichi? A suspect in a murder that never happened? Ha! They would get nowhere with that. Time to remove the eyeliner and mascara.

"However, when questioned, a Mion Sonozaki claimed to have her seen the day _after_ she vanished. Officials are still debating on whether or not Rena Ryugu could have still been alive, as autopsy has proven that the time of death was closer to Maebara's claim." Stupid Mii-chan. Telling the police something like that. Oh well. She hadn't seen her since that time, so she had nothing to worry about. Nothing at all--

"In other news, an unidentified female body has also been found in the Hinamizawa District." She gasped, stopping her movements. ...What? She dropped the damp washcloth and ran into the other room to look at the television.

"The part in question was the torso of a young woman. Police doubt that it belongs to Rena Ryugu, however, and are still looking for her remains." Rena stared down at the televsion screen, not believing what she was hearing. "There is a tattoo of a star on the left hip--" No.... "-- and the womb has been cut open for unknown reasons." No....!

"Police suspect the victim might have been pregnant, however they have failed to find the fetus."

"WHAT?!" she gasped, and ran in front of the screen, kneeling down to get a better look. "The suspect might have taken it as a trophy. As it is now clearly unsafe for anybody to be out late, officials are advising everybody to be inside after dark. Everybody must lock all doors and windows and find some means of protection when going out." The rest of the news announcement was muted. They.....they found Rina's body.....

"No! No, that's a lie! That's a lie! She was definitely pregnant! I saw it! I saw it with my own eyes!" Her breathing began to grow heavy and staggered. There was no way.....! She _was_ pregnant! She was! So what do they mean, they couldn't find the baby?! Some animal must have found it first and eaten it! Yeah, that's it! That had to be it!

_......stop lying to yourself. There never was a baby in the first place._

"Yes! Yes there was!"

_How can you be so sure of that?_

"Because I saw it! I saw it with my own eyes!"

_How do you know you really saw it?_

"I know because I was there! I'm the one that cut her up and found it! So what happened?! Where is it?!"

_It. Isn't. There._

"I know that! I know it's not there! I want to know _why_!"

_It's not there because it never was there. _

By this time, she had realized that something was wet. She found that her hands were around her neck, and her skin suddenly felt itchy.

_....Huh? When did I...._

She removed her hands from her neck and looked down. Her eyes widened and her heart stopped. Her fingers. They were. Dripping. With. Blood. It felt sticky and cold. Not like the blood she felt when she opened Rina-san's womb. And covered in her blood....also dripping from her fingers....

"......No......" she inhaled, her entire body icey. Her hands shook, her fingers twitched, as more began to fall off her hands and onto the floor. "....No....! This can't.....!" She began to hyperventilate. "No! No! This isn't real! This can't be...!" she denied as she scrambled up to her feet and ran for the bathroom. She looked in the mirror and screamed.

**Maggots. Were crawling. And squirming. Out of her flesh.**

"NOO!!!!" she screamed and threw herself away from the mirror. "No! No! No! Not again! NOT AGAIN!!!" Rena fell back onto the floor, backing away from the mirror and refraining from trying to dig the maggots out. She could feel them all over inside of her. They crawled through her arms; her legs; her chest; her back; everywhere. She could feel the ones on her neck trying to get back inside of her body. It felt really itchy.

"Stop it!!! Please stop it!!!" she pleaded to nobody in particular. Her eyes shut tightly and she wrapped her arms around herself. "They're not real! They're not real!! They're not really there!!" she repeated over and over again. No matter how many times she repeated it, the itchy feeling never went away. "What do I have to do?! What do I have to do to make them go away?!" she cried. And then, all too suddenly, the itching stopped.

Rena hesitated, and got onto her feet, her knees wobbly. She staggered over to the mirror and saw that the maggots were gone. All of them. Gone. She could see the parts of her neck she had opened from scratching, and also noticed a few on her arms. Without knowing it, she had tried to destroy herself. While she was on the ground pleading, her hands were moving by their own free will and continued to scratch. They scratched and scratched until she bled. This was, without a doubt, a sign of Oyashiro-sama's curse. In Ibaraki, when she was put into the hospital, she had tried hurting herself then. She had taken a blade to her and cut herself. As she did though, she saw, for the very first time, maggots. They tried getting back into her through her wounds, but she wouldn't let them. No way in Hell were they getting back in. So she scratched. She did everything she could to try and dig them out. The rest of a blur, for one of the nurses found her and the doctor gave her a shot.

"This is....just like that time...." she muttered softly. Rena stumbled backwards until her back hit the wall of the bathroom, and she slid down to the floor.

_So, 'Yui'.....are you really happy?_

".............no." She looked down at her bloodied hands, the life gone from her eyes and tears began to form. "......I'm not happy."

* * *

**Author's Note**

Hehe. About time I brought from _true_ madness in, ehh? And two chapters before the end, too.... ; ~ ;

I added in the little scene with Keiichi's dad since the guy is so awesome. Seriously. If you've read the Watanagashi-hen manga, you'd know what I'm talking about. *gasp* And Keiichi and Rena were so close to being reunited! :O

They found Rina's body. And the beloved maggots have returned. What's gonna happen to Rena's sanity now? Kihihihi....


	14. Moushiwake: Good Bye

The doorbell rang. It was about 8:30 at night. "Keiichi, could you please go answer the door?" Mr. Maebara called from his study. His mother was sleeping in their bedroom. Keiichi got up from the couch and stopped watching the television, walking over to the door. "Who the hell could it be at this hour?" he asked nobody in particular. He opened the door and was surprised to see who it was at the door.

"Gochima-san?" he blinked. There stood Hiro Gochima, holding a white box in his hands. "Ahh, Maebara-san! I'm glad to have found your house." He grinned brightly and bowed. Keiichi noticed the box.

"Uhm.....is that --?"

"The cake you ordered? Yes, it is. I'm sorry for not stopping by and dropping it off earlier." He scratched the back of his head. The younger male tilted his head. "Huh? I thought that Yui-chan said that you would have a delivery truck come up?"

"See, about that......We don't deliver."

"Ehh?" That was weird. Then, why did Yui say that? "Yeah....I didn't want to make her feel bad for being wrong, especially to a customer. So I took it upon myself to come up here and deliver it."

"That was really nice of you," Keiichi smiled. Gochima blushed lightly and looked sheepish. "Hey, Gochima-san. You like Yui-chan, don't you?" he asked. He noticed the way he said her name, and how he cared so much not to make her feel bad. Gochima looked away.

"Ahehehe....About that...."

"Aaahh, I knew it~" Keiichi grinned slyly. "Did you tell her?" "I did....but...." "But?"

"She rejected me."

"Ehh?!" Keiichi was shocked. Yui, who looked so sweet and innocent and loving and just adorable, rejected someone? That sounded cold.

"Yeah....But I wonder....."

_"Sorry. I can't." she stated bluntly, the look she held on her face now was neutral. He blinked, surprised by her sudden rejection. "You see.... I'm kind of already seeing somebody."_

_"Oh...I see...."_

_"So, I can't. I hope we can still be friends, though --"_

_"Nawh, it's cool. I totally understand. You don't have to apologize. I do envy the guy you're seeing, though...Aheheh." he chuckled. She smiled faintly, glad he understood. Her eyes lost a bit of their brightness, though._

".......why her eyes made her seem so sad...."

"Hmm?"

"Ahh...! It was nothing! Here you are, Maebara-san!" Gochima handed Keiichi the box with the cake. "T-Thanks....Oh, and I meant it when I said I was stopping by tomorrow. I kind of like your little shop." he grinned. Gochima smiled, glad to hear that.

"I'll be looking forward to it~" And then he left. Keiichi shut the door behind him and took the cake into the kitchen. He opened the box and looked at its beauty. It was a chocolate cake with some strawberries on the top. In vanilla frosting, some characters were written around the rim of the cake. "Hope". "Happiness". "Joy". "Love". "Life". This cake sounded a bit preachy. But, it did look good....he'd have to wait until his mom got up to have a slice. That dismayed him. Nonetheless, he closed the box and placed it in their fridge to preserve it. Noticing the time, he turned off the television and went upstairs to his room. Without making a sound, he climbed into his futon and his head plopped onto the pillow. His eyelids grew heavy, and he slept. Before, he would struggle at night to catch even a moment's rest. He was too upset about Rena's sudden death. But then, after he took care of Teppei, he began to sleep a lot easier. Maybe it was because, he knew he had made Rena happy somehow. Yeah. He made her happy. Now he had to sleep. There was no school, for tomorrow was Sunday.

He would return to "Heaven's Delight" in the morning.

* * *

xxxxxxxxxxx

* * *

Keiichi's internal alarm went off at about 5:30 in the morning. He wanted to get there as soon as the shop opened, so he could spend more time in that closure of peace. Rena's hideout was always there...but thoughts of it were starting to grow painful. Maybe if he kept going back to the shop, then he could forget that hideout. Yeah....Forget about it. Forget about the memories they shared briefly that one night. Forget about the prize he had won her. Forget about it, Keiichi. Just forget.

After getting up and dressing himself in his usual tank/vest/shorts outfit, he stepped outside into the moist dawn air. The sun had not risen yet, so it was still a little dark. Honestly, this was about as early as he had ever woken up before. But everything was peaceful and quiet, not like it was a few days ago. Upon opening the front door, he took in as much air as he could, allowing the clean atmosphere to fill his lungs. This was the best air he had ever breathed. It was so much cleaner and cooler than in the city. He had grown to love this kind of air. The boy walked over to his bike that he kept beside the side of the house, climbed onto its seat, and pedalled his way to Okinomiya.

* * *

_....................................it's still here._

Wide, crazed, blood-shot eyes glanced around the room, pausing a brief moment from focusing on an open notebook in front of them. When they saw that all was still, they returned to the notebook. Rena had been up all night. It was now about 5:30 in the morning. After feeling that prescence the night before, she couldn't go to sleep -- no. Rather, she didn't want to go to sleep. She was afraid that the second her eyes shut, that being she felt in the room would consume her completely. So, she stayed up. All night. She was awake all night, writing in her journal about everything that was going on. Her fingers hurt, and her hand was cramping. But she kept writing.

She threw the pen she was writing with onto the ground, slamming the journal after it. Its pages were winkled and water-damaged, and red. She had begun to scratch herself again while she was writing, and her blood now stained the pages of her life. Her knees wobbling, she scrambled up onto her feet and glared down at the journal.

"Why won't you answer me?!" she yelled, tears coming to her eyes. One hand moved to the other arm, and she scratched. That itchy feeling had come back--

No. It never left. It was only resting for that brief moment. But now it had awakened. And it was attacking her body mercilessly. Her nails broke through her flesh, making blood stream down her arm. She clawed at the wound, her eyes never leaving the open book she threw onto the floor. The pain....it was growing unbearable. So, why couldn't she stop clawing at herself? Finally, her nails released their hold on her arm, the flow of blood increasing.

"Damn it!" Rena hurried over to her balcony window and shoved it open. She stared angrily up at the dark blue sky. It was dawn. The sun was beginning to rise. The wind started to blow, and it blew her wig off of her head. And she began to scream some more.

"Come on!!! What the hell could be keeping you this long?! Are you afraid to show up?! Are you afraid to leave your old life! Damn you! Damn you!!" she cried. The tears streamed down her cheeks as she went on. "Don't you ever think about the people that are waiting for you?! Don't you ever want to make them happy because you're there?! Don't you want to be happy yourself?!"

Her yells were beginning to attract a crowd, from down below and from the rooms around her. People were gathering around, watching with curiousity and worry. The sky was getting brighter.

"I've waited long enough!!! If you don't want to come, then fine! Don't! Live in your own damned, miserable world!! Go ahead!! Continue to punish yourself!! Just know that the chance you had to be forgiven is gone now! It's gone!!!"

She broke down into sobs.

".............I've been waiting for so long....! So long...! I wanted to meet you! I wanted to show you what a happy world was!" she looked back up at the sky. The sun was almost up. Her arms were thrown up above her, her hands reaching out to the heavens. "I wanted to hold you with these hands, so you would know what it was like to be accepted!!!!!"

Sunlight broke over the horizon.

Her heart froze, and she stared motionless. There....there he was...! Whoever he was, he was there! She could see him smiling that bright smile she knew he must have had a long time ago. Was....he free? Was he finally free from "her"? He must be. Because he was smiling. He had finally arrived. Her anger died, and happiness began to take over. Her arms extended themselves, reaching further up above her, waiting to accept him. She stepped closer towards him, her eyes never leaving his gaze. And he moved towards her. He was floating like an angel. A beautiful angel. A small, joyful smile graced her lips as he took her hands into his. Finally....She finally felt happiness. She must have been feeling happiness.

She felt like she was flying.

* * *

Keiichi arrived in front of the cake shop as planning. It was still a bit dark, but the sun was beginning to rise. The store should be opening soon. A short distance away, he could hear someone incohalently shouting at somebody. He turned in the direction it was coming from, and noticed some people gathering around an area in front of an apartment. He decided to check it out, and hurried over to the crowd. Upon looking up, he noticed someone on their balcony. "What the...." his eyes squinted in attempts to getting a better view of the person eight stories above him. .........who..........was.......

"RENA?!" he exclaimed with shock in his voice. She....She was alive!! She was alive!!!!! She had been alive this whole time!!!!!! His heart began to race, pounding against his chest. He pushed and shoved his way through the tight crowd. "Rena!!" he called again. While manuvering through the group of people, he failed to notice the exclaims, gasps, and shouts from everyone around him. Almost....Almost to the front! He inhaled deeply as he broke through the crowd and made it to the front. The successful feeling was only briefly. Very, very briefly.

For the next thing he knew, the stomach-churning sound of bone shattering against the pavement and the sickening crimson color of blood overwhelmed his senses. Upon arriving in view, he had only a split-second to think as he watched Rena...........as he watched her land face-down on the ground right in front of him. His entire body grew cold, his eyes unwillingly taking in the sight.

**Her eyes were wide and lifeless, the final, remaining tears on her broken face. Some pieces of her skull that had broken off were scattered around, mixed in with the spreading blood and a few little chunks of brain. The puddle of blood grew, and the crowd began to back away from it. Her arms and legs were twisted, the bones obviously broken from impact. Her fingernails were covered in blood, and there were many cuts on her calves and arms. There were also a few on her neck. What caused those cuts? Were they self-inflicted? If so, then what drove her that far to where she cut herself? To make things worse, her eyes were fixed right on him. He knew she was dead....she was surely, surely dead now. But her newly glazed-over eyes were staring right at him. As if she had been watching him up until the final moment. And, she was still wearing her work uniform. The uniform that "Heaven's Delight" employees wore. She had been there, right in front of him, but he didn't notice. That, he thought, hurt the most.**

"Uu.....UUUUWAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he screamed, breaking out of the shell that had taken him in. The people around him scrambled shouting at others to call the police or an ambulence or someone. The police arrived within ten minutes. Ooishi happened to be with them. As he stepped out of the car, he examined the scene in front of him. A young girl was laying facedown in the asfalt, obviously fallen off of a high place. And beside her, a few meters away, was Keiichi Maebara. He was there the first time they "found" Rena Ryugu. So, what was he doing here?

"Maebara-san?!" he asked, hurrying towards the boy. He was on the ground, keeling over, not looking up at him. "What in the hell happened here?!"

".......sHe....." A broken voice replied. Ooishi listened intently. ".....ShE wAs alivE.....sHE Was aLive the WhOLe tiiMe...."

"Maebara-san?"

"SHE wAS LIviNG hERe......tHe WHolE TIme....." The policeman noticed Keiichi's arms flinched a little. What were they doing? "I....I cAn't bELiEve.....tHat ShE was HeRe......shE waS LIVing pEACefulLY......aNd WHeN I thOuGHt SHe....--"

"Who, Maebara-san? Who did you think was dead?"

"R-......RRrRRReNAAAaaaaa......."

"RYUGU-SAN?!" he gasped, and quickly turned his head over to the body. Sure enough....it was Rena Ryugu. He recognized the uniform. That....that night...!

_"Excuse me, miss. Have you seen this person lately?" Ooishi approached a woman working at the front desk of an apartment building and held up a photo of Rena. "No, I'm afraid I haven't...." she shook her head. "Oh....Sorry for taking your time. I'll be on my way now." he bowed. As he turned to leave, someone else entered the building. She looked like she could be in late high school or early college. She had brown, shoulder-length hair that seemed to be a bit feathered, blue eyes, and prescription glasses. She was carrying a bag and wore the worker's uniform of a cake shop down the street. The woman at the desk greeted her._

_"Welcome back, Mamiya-san." she bowed. Ooishi approached her as well._

_"Excuse me, miss. Mind if I have a word with you?" he asked. She blinked. "Of course. What could it be?"_

_"My name is Ooishi, and I'm a detective working on the Ryugu case." he said, presenting his badge. She tilted her head. "'Ryugu case'?" "Would you know if you had seen her somewhere?" he asked, and presented the same photo. She looked at it, examined it, and shook her head._

_"No, I haven't. Why? Did something happen?" she asked, showing that she had no knowledge of anything having to do with this._

_"Well, see....she went missing, and....we found a few of her body parts." He forced himself to say. She gasped and covered her mouth. "Wh-What?! That's awful!! Who would do such a thing?!" she asked, shocked in her voice. "We don't know yet....So we're asking everybody and anybody if they had seen her around. Anything would help us solve this." he sighed. "Anyway...thank you for your time." He bowed, and walked out the building._

"DAMN IT!!!" He slammed the ground. Rena Ryugu, who was supposedly dead, was there. She was right in front of them. He even spoke with her! Why couldn't he have seen this?!

He then heard some sort of...growling, choking noise coming from someone behind him. He turned and looked over his shoulder. And he saw blood was beginning to drip down Keiichi's arm.

"Maebara-san!! What in the hell are you doing?!" he asked, rushing over to him. Keiichi, hesitently, looked up. His entire neck was red, and sticky. His hands were red, and sticky. His nails were dug into his flesh.

**He was scratching at his own throat.**

"MAEBARA-SAN!!!" he grabbed Keiichi's hands to make him stop.

"RRRrrrEEeenNNnAaaaAAAa....."

"Someone call an ambulence!! There's somebody who needs serious medical attention!!"

"WwwHY....wwWHy dID EverYThING HAVE to HaPPeN tO hEr......"

"Hang on, Maebara-san!! Help is on the way! Just hang on!"

"ShE.....JuST wANtED.....To bE....H.....HAApppPY....."

"Stay with me, Maebara-san!!"

"Aalll.......SssshhheeEEEee......wAAaaaAaanTed......................."

"MAEBARA-SAN!!!!!"

* * *

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

* * *

**June XX, 1983**

**Police Report**

A person fell to their death today. It appears to have been an accident, according to dozens of eye-witnesses. She apparently was shouting incoharently at the sky from her balcony, before suddenly walking towards the edge with her hands up in the air. She stepped up onto the ledge, and just simply walked off. Death was instant upon impact. The deceased is one Rena Ryugu, who the police had assumed to have been dead since June XX 1983, about one week ago. She had gone into hiding after killing another, one Rina Mamiya, and even changed her name and disguised herself. The apartment she was staying at and eventually fell from had her registered under the name Yui Mamiya. The desk clerk had no knowledge of her true identity.

She began to work at a cake shop down the street called "Heaven's Delight". Apparently, none of her co-workers knew of her true identity either. When police searched her room, they found a journal that was stained with a red substance (possibly blood, for the deceased had man cuts on her body) and thrown carelessly onto the ground.

The journal reads as follows:

_I wonder what their reactions were when they found that note I left... Surely, they weren't pleased. But that doesn't matter now. I'm here to keep track of everything and anything I do. So then, if something were to happen to me, everybody would know of my crimes. They would know the truth._

_That's all I really want...._

_....but even so, I can't seem to bring myself to turn myself in. Something keeps stopping me. A little voice in the back of my head keeps telling me not to do it. So I don't. I'm going to keep living. ...what are these crimes I'm supposed to be guilty of, you ask? Allow me to start from the beginning._

_The first crime of all was leaving my home. I was little, and only had to because of my parent's work. I had no choice. So would I be innocent for that?_

_The second crime was allowing my mother to ruin our family. I was little, and didn't understand what was going on until it was too late. So would I be innocent for that?_

_The third crime was taking my hate out onto the world. I wasn't little anymore, and I fully understood a lot of the things I didn't before. However, that hatred I unleashed -- no, that unleashed itself, grew from the hatred of my mother and what she did. People suffered because of what she did to me. So would I be innocent for that?_

_The fourth crime was falling in love. I wasn't little anymore, but there were still some things I didn't quite understand. Love was one of them. So would I be innocent for that as well?_

_The fifth crime was killing somebody. I'm not little, and it took me a while to understand exactly what I did. But I finally got it. It was an accident, though. I had no real intentions of murdering, even the person that I did end up killing. Would I still be guilty for that crime?_

_The sixth crime was listening to the demon that took over my body. After I committed the fifth crime, the demon entered my body and manipulated my thoughts and actions. I had no control over them. I had no control over myself. Would I still be guilty for that crime?_

_The seventh crime was hiding my sin. After I committed the sixth crime, I took it upon myself to try and fix things, and to do so, I hid my sin. I was doing it to protect the happiness that I worked so hard to build. Would I still be guilty for that crime?_

_The eighth crime was letting my sin get discovered. _

_The ninth crime was allowing someone to taint themselves with my sin._

_The tenth crime was leaving that person by themselves to take care of my sin._

_The eleventh crime was attacking someone innocent._

_The twelth crime was abandoning everybody._

_The thirteenth crime was getting rid of my true identity._

_The fourteenth crime was aquiring a new identity._

_Am I really that bad of a person? I may not be innocent of everything, but does that still make me a bad person? You can't blame me for the things that I did. I did them with good intentions. There was no evil in them. So would I be innocent afterall? ....you do not know of the last part of my sins? Then let me explain. Let us start at the twelth crime._

_After committing all other crimes, I decided to run away. I left two people very dear to me a note, confessing of my crimes and the reason why I was leaving. I told them to forget about me. I doubt they have, knowing them.... Anyway, after leaving the note, I had to take something from my Papa. I had to do the very thing I hated that woman for doing... I had to steal money from him. But my intentions weren't as bad as hers. No way in hell they could ever be as bad as hers! Never! Never! Never! NEVER!_

_....I needed it so I could move away and be able to support myself for a little while. I packed some clothes and the money, and I went to my secret hiding spot to keep it there for a short while. There was something else to take care of._

_After committing the eleventh crime, I ran away from them. Delusional, I stayed in the rain, hoping that I would get sick enough to die. But then someone came along and offered a hand of salvation. They led me to a place I would be forgiven. I confessed my crimes, and asked for forgiveness. The kind person that showed me compassion said that I wouldn't truly be forgiven until I forgive myself. How could I do that? I couldn't possibly forgive myself. Not after everything I had done. So I went with my original plan and began to ran away. However, I knew running away wouldn't be enough. They would come looking for my eventually. I had to come up with a way to cover my tracks._

_So I found Rina-san's body._

_I took her right arm, as it was very similar to my own in size and skin tone. I removed a part of my usual outfit and put it on her arm, giving it the appearance of being mine. Of course, a severed arm wouldn't be enough to make a person seem dead. I had to find something else. I found her leg, the one I had trouble removing. I removed my boot and stocking, and slipped the stocking onto her leg. Being extra cautious, I took them from their hiding places and carried them to the construction site. I had to find somewhere that was easy enough to find, but still somewhat difficult to come up with. My hiding spot. I chose that hiding spot because I knew that he knew of it. If he found it....then he really would think I was dead._

_At least, that's what I hoped._

_I tossed it carelessly onto the ground beside the hideout, then went a little ways in some random direction to dispose of the other body part. I threw it a surprisingly great distant, and it went over a mound of junk. I heard it crash a few times as it tumbled down the mound before it finally landed. I went over to check to see if I was satisfied with its condition. The stocking was torn a little. It was probably snagged on some trast sticking out. Oh well. It made the illusion of assault even more convincing._

_Afterwards, in the dead of night, I snuck away on foot, and fled to the nearest town, Okinomiya. It's not exactly the safest place, since some people know me. But having only moved her about a year ago, there are bound to be some strangers....wouldn't there? It took me a long time...maybe three or four hours. But I did it. I made it to Okinomiya. Finally, it stopped raining. I entered a costume store just as it was about to close. They were in a hurry to close, so they didn't question me when I said I would like to pay for something. I got myself a brown wig that I could style, some make-up, and some realistic-looking eye glasses. It was the perfect disguise. The wig was for obvious use, the make-up would make me seem older, and Rena Ryugu doesn't wear glasses. Besides, she was supposed to be dead anyway._

_The only problem left was finding a place to stay. Hotels were expensive, and you couldn't actually live in them. Not that there was one in the area, anyway. The nearest hotel was in the next city, which took hours to get to by train. There was no way I was going to stray that far from home. Not after what happened last time. As I wandering about, I came upon a decent-looking apartment complex. This one. Right here. The one I'm living in right now as I enter this journal entry. Before I went in, I went out of sight of the desk clerk and put on the wig and glasses. The make-up would take too much time. After it was all set, I went in and asked if I could get a room. They had one available, and I paid some rent right then and there. I got my key and went up to my room. It's on the eighth floor. That's pretty high up. And luckily, I managed to find an apartment that came with furniture in the room already! I thought things were beginning to turn out for the better. After settling in, all I had to do now was find a place to work in order to get an income. Surely the money I took from Papa would run out eventually...._

_I had to come up with a name. Reina Ryugu was abandoned long ago, and Rena Ryugu was no longer safe to use. This time, I had to drop my name completely. No more Reina. No more Rena. No more Ryugu. It had to be something completely different. What was Rina-san's last name? Ahh, that's right. It was Mamiya. Now for a first name..... I always did like the name "Yui"...._

_From this moment on, I leave behind my life as "Rena Ryugu". As God himself is my witness, I am now known as Yui Mamiya. I shall be Yui Mamiya when I go to work. When I go into town. When I leave and enter the building. I will only be Rena Ryugu in my loved one's memories._

_And so, I, Yui Mamiya, am born._

* * *

_Today, I got a job. My first job. It's in a cake shoppe down the street, just a short walk from here. They had a "Help Wanted" sign and I decided to check it out. They asked how old I was; of course I lied. High school students aren't allowed to have jobs....but then, I'm not technically in high school anymore, am I? They asked what I could do, and I said that I was good at math and had a good eye for decoration. You could thank my damned mother for that talent. They put me at the front register, and even said I could help make orders that were called in. I truly, truly thought that my life was finally turning around. Things started to seem brighter....until I returned home and found Ooishi-san at the desk. What was he doing here? He was looking for someone, anyone, who had any information on someone who went missing and is apparently now dead. He dropped the bomb when he said 'Ryugu case'. I was nervous when he first started speaking to me, afraid that he was able to see through my disguise. But he just wanted to talk about Rena Ryugu's murder._

_....today was the best day of my life._

_They had found the parts I left them, just as I had hoped. Now they thought -- no, they knew, that I was dead. Rena Ryugu was dead. Dead. Dead. She's dead. She's dead. She's definitely dead! She exists no more! ....not only did they know that "I" was dead, they never even considered the thought that the body was someone else's. Rina -- no, Ritsuko Mamiya. Why did I even choose her last name, anyway? Why couldn't I have chosen something else, like....._

_.....no. Never. I will never use that name. The name 'Akihito' will never be a part of mine. I promise this. Because of that woman....and what she did to start all of this._

* * *

_Nothing new and exciting happened today. The same stuff was on the news about the "Ryugu case". This ought to keep them busy for a while. Honestly, though, I wonder why they're still just searching for the body and not for the culprit? Haven't they taken in consideration that the culprit had the rest of the body with him? Or her? Hehehe. Just kidding. I already disposed of Rina-san's body. I left the arm and leg out on purpose. I __**wanted**__ the police to find them. They could only be identified by whatever clothing or items were found on them. And since Keiichi-kun knows me really well, he probably would have recognized the articles of clothing I left right away. It's a cruel thing to do, I know. But killing an innocent life, one that was partially created by my own Papa, is an even crueler thing to do. After living through that, I don't think I'll be able to see things that I do in the same way. Our thoughts on what's cruel or evil may differ. But only because you haven't actually lived through them. Now have you?_

_.......I met somebody today, at work. His name is Hiro Gochima. He looks really nice. He treats me kindly and is really friendly. And he looks so young! I wonder if he just got out of high school....anyway, I won't ever think of him as more than a friend. I already promised somebody else....that we would be together forever...........I wonder if he misses me. I know I miss him. I miss him a whole lot._

* * *

_I had a dream last night, after writing in my entry for the day. It was really strange. I was in a field of nothing. Nothing surrounded me. I stood on nothing. Everything was gone. And yet, there I was. I was just standing there, staring up at the nothing that was above my head. And I heard a voice...._

_"If I just destroyed it..._

_It's best if it was all torn up, I thought._

_That's what I believed._

_No, what I still believe._

_At this very moment I believe it._

_But...I hardly realize it._

_Because that which I want to believe, is the one thing I can't accept._

_That crying voice meant to persuade myself is so unbearably stupid..._

_And of course, those tears just make my face look even more disheveled._

_After some mechanical reptition, I finally calmed down and it became very quiet_

_All I can hear are those disgustingly noising higurashi._

_Even so it still seems like I can hear her._

_But there's no I could be hearing her._

_Because she quit speaking long ago._

_The person crying was me alone._

_She wasn't crying at all._

_Even when she was repeating those words before, she showed no expression, no emotion at all._

_If she couldn't shed a single tear for me, then I-_

_Then I can't be expected to shed any tears for them._

_In spite of that it hurts, my eyes have misted over...why?_

_I still haven't torn it up, because I want to believe._

_Hey, isn't that enough?_

_From inside me, a voice gently pipes up._

_You've grieved enough._

_And over and over, I wonder whether I should just throw away my grieving Heart._

_Even so..I've stubbornly refused to abandon it._

_If I only would, it would ease my mind_

_Surely im the only one who understands the bitter hardships who can be thanked for them._

_Hey you. _

_.....You've done enough._

_..........You've accepted it._

_Therefore, shouldn't you put yourself at ease?_

_Besides...I'm not throwing it away._

_I'm going to set it here, with her._

_Like an offering of flowers._

_Now...your mind is very relaxed._

_Your right arm has grown heavy._

_Try your best to raise it._

_With one wave, you'll forget all this._

_I was cheered by your kindness._

_I was cheered by your lovely smile._

_I loved to pat your head._

_I loved your bashful ways._

_Since this is the end,_

_Since I'll forget all this with one more swing,_

_I'll give to you...my first, and last, bouquet._

_Could it be, that what I really loved,..................was you?"_

_These words keep repeating themselves to me. I know I have heard them before, sometime long ago. In a place that was the same as here, but different. In a voice that was familiar, yet it was a voice I've never heard before. That voice, it sounded so...pathetic. So distant. So..._

_....sad._

_"Why are you sad? What have you done? What kind of sin have you committed, that you believe you can be forgiven for? You don't need to worry; I can forgive you. No matter what, I will forgive you._

_Because I know the feeling._

_I know what it is like to feel like you've committed a terrible sin and that you'll never be forgiven because of it. That sin has tainted your hands and your heart. Nobody could ever wash it away. At least, that's what I thought. I've committed sins that I never would've thought would be forgiven. I've committed sins that have tainted my body and soul and thought would never wash away. I've lived the remainder of my life thinking this, until the very last moment of my life, where I was, finally, forgiven. It lifted such a weight off of my shoulders, and I felt free._

_So I will do the same for you._

_I will forgive your sin, no matter what the sin is. I will open my arms and wait for you to come into them, so I can embrace you. I will show you that kindness which you thought you would never receive. Because I am like you. Because you are like me, a lost little lamb with black wool in a flock of white sheep. Always wandering, hoping, that someone would accept whatever it is that you've done. And then finally, you find that one white sheep that says, "It's okay. I will forgive you for having that black wool. It's okay." And then you can live happily among the flock of white sheep, because you were forgiven._

_So don't grieve over your mistake. I will hold out my hand and wait for you to take it, so that in the next life, you won't be alone. Because I will be with you. Whatever mistake you make, I will be there to forgive you. So, come. Take my hand. Don't hold on to that burden anymore. I want to see your spirits lifted, so that you can smile that bright smile of yours again._

_I have always admired you. I've admired your smile, I've admired your brightness, I've admired the way you can maintain your composure even when things are bleak, I've admired your strength. So, even through all of this..............I don't regret anything. No matter what happens, I'll be here for you. I'll be here to cry with you, whenever you want to cry." _

_I don't know who my dream "me" was talking to....but my dream "me" held up her hands above her head nonetheless, and reached up at the nothing. _

* * *

_....I had that same dream again. Once more, I was standing in a field of nothing. Nothing surrounded me. I stood on nothing. Everything was gone. And yet there I was, standing there and staring up at the nothing above my head, same as the night before. I don't remember what my dream "me" said....but I will now respond to that person in my dreams with this journal. I will talk to you, the other dream person, through this. Maybe....you will respond?_

_Who is it that's speaking? This is the second time I've heard that voice, that voice which is weak and distant yet is somehow close to somewhere in my heart. Who are you? What have you done? Who is this 'she' that you say cried no tears for you? Why is she no longer speaking? What haven't you still torn up?_

_You want to still believe because you still hold on to that hope; that hope that you can, one day, hear 'her' voice again. 'Her' voice is that hope, that hope that tells you that it's not too late to be forgiven for your sins. You still hear 'her' because you don't want to let go. That 'her' that no longer exists, how important is 'she' to you?_

_Did 'she' brighten your days on earth, just by being there with you? Did 'she' bring a smile to your face, even when your heart was heavy? Did 'she' open her arms up to you and say that you were forgiven, even when you saw nothing but your own sin? Even when you saw nothing but your own sin, did you hear 'her' calling out to you? Does missing 'her' still bring tears to your eyes?_

_Don't cry. 'She' never shed a tear for you, so that you couldn't cry. 'She' wanted you to know that you are forgiven, so that you can be happy. With 'her'. So, what did you do to make 'her' want to reach out to you with loving hands? Is that what you want again? To be accepted by someone who loves you, as 'she' accepted you? To love someone dearly and that someone love you back, as 'she' loved you? To be held by someone who cares for you with warmth and affection, as 'she' did?_

_Then come. Take my hand. Don't carry that burden anymore. Release it off of your shoulders. Don't carry that burden anymore. It only makes you weaker. As 'she' did once long ago, I will reach out to you with open arms, and I will tell you that you are forgiven. I will wait, as 'she' did, for as long as it takes, my arms never closing. And I will forgive you. Doubt yourself. Doubt me. Doubt 'her'. But do not doubt that you can be forgiven. 'She' wished it. All 'she' wanted was for you to live happily and without a weight on your heart._

_Don't you want 'her' to be happy to know that you have accepted 'her' and her forgiveness? Because even though I don't know 'her', I feel that that is all 'she' wanted for you. So don't cry. Come and take my hand. We will go on to the next life together. I will love you as 'she' did. I will accept you as 'she' did. I will hold you and comfort you as 'she' did. Do not be mistaken; I do not think that 'she' will ever come again. Whoever 'she' is, 'she' still lingers in your heart._

_That is why, even though you hear those disgustingly noisy higurashi, you still hear 'her'._

* * *

_Again.....that voice. One night with this dream is just a dream. Two nights with this dream are just my mind trying to remember. But three nights in a row with the same dream? Now I know....somebody is trying to talk to me. They're telling me about a hardship they've encountered with this.....'her'. Who is she? Have you have enough?_

_Isn't it enough?_

_If it's so hard, you who I don't know, why don't you throw away your grieving Heart? It obviously causes such pain to you. And yet, you refuse to let go. Are you trying to punish yourself? You've already been forgiven! So there's no reason for you to suffer anymore! Why?! Why do you refuse to let go of something that torments?! You masochist, inflicting pain on yourself by not abandoning your grief! Why do you refuse to accept my forgiveness?!_

_...it's because of 'her', isn't it? Is my forgiveness not good enough? Because I am not 'her'? 'She' is gone now. The only place 'she' remains in now is your Heart. You have to stop looking at the past. You have to let go. Let 'her go, and move on into the next life. With me. I'm waiting here, my arms open and inviting. I'm waiting for you. I want to meet you! I want to finally meet you! So, why won't you come already? Here you have affection and unconditional love waiting for you! And yet 'she' still binds you to the painful past that you have endured! 'She' wants you to stay with her, to torture you with your guilt! Your mind can't be eased because 'she' still has you in her hold!_

_I used to think highly of 'her' because 'she' brought such joy to your life. I used to think highly of 'her' because 'she' made you smile. But now I can see that all 'she' has done was tempt you into a beautiful life and made you destroy it. And now, even from beyond the grave, 'she' still taunts you. 'She' mocks you for your sins, pretending to be reaching up to you in salvation and making you suffer because you refused to take it._

_...that witch._

_I will, one day, meet her. Maybe not this life, maybe not in the next, but one day. And I promise this to you now, I will make sure that whatever 'she' has made you go through, 'she' will go through herself ten-fold. I promise this. I promise my very existence on this. Your mind will ease, and your body will relax. You will be free, and you will soar up to meet me, so we can continue living on together in the next life. One day; one day...._

_.....'she' will be forgotten._

_I promise this now..........whoever 'she' is......I will make you forget 'her'._

* * *

_Last night, the dream didn't come. Did I scare them away? They didn't want to talk to me......so nothing major happened today. Gochima-kun was just being adorable, same as he usually is. I worked the register and helped decorate a cake. I did a really, really good job on it, too. Gochima-kun said that it was perfect. Absolutely perfect. That made me feel so happy inside. I was receiving compliments again, like I used to for doing good. Yui is happy. Yui is definitely happy Although, I think that Gochima-kun likes Yui.....He's always looking at her and finding some sort of excuse to talk to her. He's always saying happy things to her and making her smile. He makes her happy. _

_Does Yui like Gochima-kun? I wonder, I wonder......_

* * *

_The dream didn't come again last night._

* * *

_.......Hey you. It's been a while, hasn't it?_

_All the rest are starting to wonder what's going on. They're asking me, "When is this person you always speak of going to arrive?" I have to keep responding, "Soon, my friends. They will be here very soon. Just wait a little longer. Just a little longer. And then we can go on into the next world together."_

_At first I was the only one who knew. Then one day, someone came by and asked, "What are you doing?" I replied, "I am waiting." They asked, "What are you waiting for?" I answered, "That 'someone' whose voice I heard. They sounded sad, lost, and alone. So I am here waiting for them, so they will know that they are forgiven." Then that person stood by my side and waited with me._

_The next day, someone came by and asked, "What are you two doing?" We replied, "We are waiting." They asked, "What are you two waiting for?" We answered, "That 'someone' whose voice we heard. They sounded sad, lost, and alone. So we are here waiting for them, so they will know that they are forgiven." Then that person stood by my side and waited with us._

_The next day, someone came by and asked, "What are you three doing?" We replied, "We are waiting." They asked, "What are you three waiting for?" We answered, "That 'someone' whose voice we heard. They sounded sad, lost, and alone. So we are here waiting for them, so they know that they are forgiven." Then that person stood by my side and waited with us._

_The next day, someone came by and asked, "What are you four doing?" We replied, "We are waiting." They asked, "What are you four waiting for?" We answered, "That 'someone' whose voice we heard. They sounded sad, lost, and alone. S we are here waiting for them, so they will know that they are forgiven." Then that person laughed._

_"You four are waiting for someone you've never even met? How foolish! If that person is sad, lost, and alone, then they will remain sad, lost, and alone! They will not wish to have the company of anybody else but their own silence! Your efforts of showing forgiveness are useless, so stop waiting and go home." Then that person left, laughing. That laugh sounded so cruel. I wanted to shut that person up, for good. How dare they mock us for wanting to lead someone to a happy place. How dare they crush our hopes of showing someone forgiveness!_

_.....but that person was right._

_Someone who is sad, lost, and alone would not wish to have the company of anybody else but their own silence. They wish to bury themselves, punishing themselves for whatever it is they've done. Is that the case with you? Are you like this to punish yourself?_

_...........no. That's not it._

_It's that witch. That "she" you speak of that is gone. "She" has placed a spell onto your mind and made you think that you are sad, lost, and alone. But I know that you're not. You're not sad, lost, and alone. You're happy, found, and with friends. Us. We're your friends. _

_And we're waiting._

* * *

_I wonder how life will be when you arrive. I'll tell you what I think. I think the days will be a lot brighter. The sun will want to shine more. The flowers will bloom more beautifully than they usually do. The birds will sing a happy song. There will never be a day where a cloud hides everything in darkness. It will never rain that dreary rain. The sky will never be depressing. We'll be able to look up and see how blue it really is. And we'll be able to smile, because we've seen it._

_Doesn't that sound nice?_

_I wonder how life will be when youa rrive. I'll tell you what I think. I think night will grow cooler. The darkness will not be scary. We will show no fear when the sun goes down and leaves everything in black. We will accept the night with open arms. There will be no evil hiding in the shadows. Because finally, the stars will come out and light the way. They'll come back and twinkle. They'll dance and shine and show what was hidden. The night will never be scary. We'll be able to look up and see how bright the night sky really is. And we'll be able to smile, because we've seen it._

_Doesn't that sound nice?_

_I wonder how life will be when you arrive. I'll tell you what I think. I think my dreams will be more calming. I'll be able to sleep peacefully, lost in a world of happiness and joy. I wonder how long it's been since I've experienced something like that. It's been quite a while, to be sure. When I close my eyes to sleep, I will not fear. My nightmares will not daunt me. They will not embrace my being in claws and hold me down and tear me up from the inside. My nightmares will vanish into nothingness. And they'll be replaced with blissful sleep. I'll be able to look up and finally see tomorrow. And I'll be able to smile, because I've seen it. _

_Do you wonder how life will be when you arrive? Do you think the days will be brighter? Do you think you'll be able to smile as you look up at the bright blue sky? Do you think the nights will be cooler? Do you think you'll be able to smile as you look up at the stars shining bright? Do you think your nightmares of that 'her' that no longer exists will finally, finally, let you rest? Do you think you'll be able to smile, because you've seen tomorrow? I guess the question isn't, "What do you think life will be like when you arrive?" I think the question is...._

_...."What do you think life will be like __**if**__ you arrive?"_

* * *

_......this is bad._

_This is really bad._

_They found Rina-san's body. The part that I -- no, "Rena Ryugu" tried so well to hide. She tried really, really hard to make sure that they didn't find her. So....how?! How were they able to do it?! And how were they not able to find Papa's baby?! It was there! It was there!!! I know!!! I was the one who killed her!! I was the one who checked!! How could they not see it?! It was there!! It was definitely there!!!!!!! This is really, really, really, really, really bad!!! They weren't supposed to find her! How did they?! That was impossible!!_

_.........then things got worse._

_**The maggots came back.**_

_They're back.....This is bad....really, really bad....I saw them.....Even though I knew they weren't real, I saw them....They're back....They're crawling around in my body. I can't try to dig them out. I'll just bleed to death in the process. Oyashiro-sama.....I can feel its prescence.....It's here....it's here...! It's watching me....It's standing here behind me. I'm afraid to look back. I know that if I do, I will see it. It's terrifying. It's really, really scary. I know. I've seen it before. In my old town, where I lived before I moved back. When I went into that hospital....because of what that damned woman did to me....And now...now it's back! It's back! It won't leave me be! What have I done to deserve its curse again?! It forgave me! I thought it forgave me! So shouldn't I be free?!_

_Hey!! You!!_

_Please....answer me!!! Whoever you are!! Wherever you are!! Please answer me!! Please come already! I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hold out!! Where are you?! Why haven't you shown up yet?! Are you already here?! If you are, then where?! Where?! Don't leave me all alone!! Not after everything that I've gone through!! Not after everything that I've done for you!!_

_Please..............please respond.............................._

_Don't leave me here all by myself.........not when....."it's" back.....You don't know what "it" is?_

_"It" is Oyashiro-sama._

_Oyashiro-sama came to me a year ago. It said that if I wanted to live, I had to go back to Hinamizawa. Oyashiro-sama is a truly frightening being. It won't forgive if you leave Hinamizawa. I left Hinamizawa. And even though.....even though I apologized and asked for forgiveness for all of my crimes.....it won't leave me be. It won't forgive me...._

_Shh. I just heard it breathing. It sounded like a small, quick gust of wind. A quiet gust of wind. My body is tense and frozen. I can't sleep. I'm afraid to sleep. Why won't it let me be......_

_....................................it's still here._

_It's still here. It won't go away. It won't go away. Why? Why won't it go away? No matter where I look, I can't see it. But, I know. It's still here. I can hear it breathing. I can feel it close by. Why, oh God, why?! Why won't you arrive already?! Please!! Please come soon!! Come and stay with me! I need your strength! I need you to be here with me! So why?! Where are you?! Why haven't you arrived yet?! Is "she" still holding you captive?! Then damn her!! Damn her!! Damn her to the pits of Hell!! Make her let you go free! DAMN HER!!!!_

_There!! There you go!! I've damned "her" to Hell! You should be free from "her", right?! Right?! So come....Come into this happy world! Be with us! With me!_

_  
So we can be happy together!_

....that's the last of the journal. She was confessing of crimes she claims to have committed, all the while talking to someone who is currently unknown.

Another victim, one Keiichi Maebara, was also found at the scene. He was found scratching at his own throat, much in a similar manner as another, Jirou Tomitake, had died just a while before. He was taken immediately to the hospital, but died upon arrival. The reasons are still being debated, but it looks like the combination of blood-loss and a heart attack. The victim is only 1X years old, so the heart attack could have been caused by stress of witnessing another's death.

.....come to think of it.....

.....wasn't he there the first time when they found the parts Rena Ryugu left behind?

* * *

**Author's Note:**

........I can't believe I made myself do this.

If any of you knew me well enough, you'd know that I love Rena to bits (.....no pun intended) and that she would be the LAST person I'd want to kill off. But.....yes.

Last chapter will just explain things. Like what happened in the ten minutes it took for Ooishi to show up, and the aftermath.

So.....hope you all enjoyed this. BTW, if you're confused about when Keiichi broke through the crowd, allow me to summarize:

Keiichi saw Rena and moved through the crowd to get a better look at what was going on. He was really, really happy to find out that she had been alive this whole time. However, the second he moved to the front, he witnessed the exact split-second it took for her head to hit the pavement. That must have been really painful to watch (but, it IS called the Heart-Killing chapter...)


	15. Moushiwake: Beginning

....I failed.

I try and I try. But no matter how hard I try, everything just falls apart. I attempt to break through Fate, only to fail. Could it be that I was destined to fail? Each and every time I try? Let's find out by trying again. But what would happen if I should fail? Should I try yet again? Or should I stop trying, thus preventing the fate where I fail? It's like a house of cards. Every card you use builds. Things work at first, if you're able to complete the beginning. But as you go further on, things get harder for everything to maintain its stability. One wrong move, and all of your hard work has just shattered before your eyes. In the end, it seems to be the better move to not begin that house of cards at all.

No....

By not trying, I have already failed.

I remember the words that someone I knew once said: "Fate isn't set in stone. You have to take it into your own hands." By seeing his will to fight, I wanted to keep fighting as well, beside everybody. In another Hinamizawa, a friend made a mistake where she couldn't come to her friends for help. But he stood by her side, and everyone helped eachother. They stayed together. They kept believing in her, right until the very end. The end, where the entire world was destined to fail.

What was the mistake we made this time? I wonder if it was when we stopped believing that she was alive. I wonder if it was when we failed to see that something was wrong in her life. I wonder if it was when we failed to provide the happiness that surely would've outweighed her grief. Or maybe....that in itself was it? Did we let her become too happy, so that when she fell, she fell harder than anybody else?

...that's right.

It's because we let her and him become close. We failed to see the relationship those two had formed. And so when she became broken, he became broken as well. This worlds house of cards was doomed to fail right from the start. If they hadn't become close, then someone wouldn't have been broken, either. In an attempt to repair what was beginning to break, it only widened the cracks. And eventually, everything just crumbled.

I wonder if there is a world where they can become happy, together, without starting any cracks. If there is such a world, then maybe...God will answer my pleas. God has always been there right by my side, watching as I played my role in this twisted game. God has always been there to reset the game should I have lost. But now, God is becoming weak. The chances of this next world being a happy one are getting slimmer and slimmer. If there is such a world, shouldn't we have come across it already? Or maybe such a world doesn't even exist. If that's true, then we've just been playing to the Devil's tune, acting out the parts He has set for us in hopes of making it to the end. But what we never knew was that there was no end. This game is an endless cycle; the game of an endless June, with no light waiting for us. The cries of the higurashi will eventually silence. The heat from the summer will eventually cool. The laughter of children will eventually die. The smiles of everyone I knew will fade. So isn't it better just to end things now?

....oh. It's you.

Once again, you approach me while I sit here in darkness. You must not be expecting anything for me to do; my hands and feet have been bound and I am lying on my back on stone. This stone...it feels familiar. Is this home? I'd ask, but you have silenced my mouth. I doubt you'd answer me anyway; that'd only give me a hint of your identity. My body is cold from the wind, and I hear crickets. It's night? Surely it is, but why is a June night so cold? Oh....I'm bare. What purpose would I have for being bare? Is there something from my body that you need?

You must be a kind person, to allow me to go through this night while I am asleep. I won't feel any pain. I won't even be able tell that I had gone asleep, because I will never wake up. I won't even know who you are.

I remember this now. This is the exact moment I die and begin to restart this damned game. You certainly are a kind person. You keep me entertained, a reason to keep fighting. You run this games rules by your ruthless hand. You control the pieces and manipulate them to change the setting of the board. You turn my own pieces against eachother, sometimes even against me. I don't even know what you look like, you're blended in so well with your side of the board. You must find this fun for you to make me want to keep playing.

You disgust me.

What's that? Something metallic and sharp has just pierced my skin. Something warm and sticky is running down my body....blood? Am I bleeding now? My throat....it's....open.... Is this how I die? Quick and painlessly? Then I'll hold on, just a few seconds longer, to say farewell. I love you, my friends. I love you all so very much. I love this town where we can live happily, at least for a little bit. I've had a lot of fun with you all, playing in the club and being together. Your smiles lifted me up, and almost made me forget this tragic end that was just waiting to happen. I will cherish each and every one of you, forever. If you somehow find me dead, don't be sad. I'll see you all again, in another world. Then we'll have the fun that we've always had this past 100 years. We'll have fun, until we die again. I'll make our last moments count, and I'll keep fighting for our sake. See you all soon.

Good-bye.

------------------

xxxxxxxxxx

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It's June, 1983. The town of Hinamizawa. Every year, at the beginning of summer, the town had a special festival called the "Watanagashi", or cotton-drifting. The festival was to celebrate the ending of winter and beginning of spring, and as such, to celebrate the renewal of everybody's spirit. The cotton is pure, and soaks up the bad things inside a person's body, so that the person can live on healthily through the year. Before the actual cotton-drifting, however, there were a bunch of stands with food and games and the like, and everybody had a good time. It really was one of the most important days in the lives of the people of Hinamizawa. Rena's group of friends would naturally go together to the festival, as they did last year. But this year, she wanted to do something different. Upon arriving at the meeting spot, the excitement couldn't keep her still. It couldn't keep her patient. In her impatience and anticipation, she completely skipped the meeting spot and dashed down the road towards his house. The moment she made it to her destination, the front door opened and a boy walked out. Keiichi Maebara. The "new guy" in town.

"Rena? You're certainly here early." he stated, a bit surprised by the change in routine. Rena merely grinned and giggled a little "hehe".

"Well, that's because I wanted to talk to Keiichi-kun about something." she said, all bubbly and happy. He smiled and stepped towards her.

"Alright, but we're going to have to talk on the way to school. We don't want to be late." he reminded her. She nodded in understandment, and the two strolled back down the road, side by side. A light, pink blush covered Rena's face. She looked down, and stammered a little.

"Uhh, K-Keiichi-kun..." she muttered. This caught his attention, and he glanced over at her with a "hmm?".

"Uhm... I was wondering..." she paused, then stepped in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. She looked up at him, her face blushing even more now, staring straight into his eyes with determination.

"I was wondering if you--"

"Good morning to you both!" a voice called out from a short distance. Keiichi and Rena both turned their attention to the figure approaching them.

"Rika-chan? Aren't you running a bit late?" Keiichi inquired, blinking with confusion. Rika and Satoko always made it to school extra early. So...why was Rika falling behind?

"Mii~ I overslept a little bit and when I realized the time, I remembered that you two usually come by at this point. Maybe we can all walk to school together?" the little girl asked, grinning innocently. "Sure! I don't see any problem with that!" Keiichi grinned cheekily. Rena was frozen in shock, unable to move or say anything. Rika and Keiichi had taken a few steps forward before noticing how Rena wasn't following. He stopped and turned back towards her.

"Rena? You comin'?" She snapped out of her thoughts, nodded, and hurried back to join them. "Y-Yeah....sorry..."

"So, Rena. What was it you were going to ask?" Keiichi brought up the topic. "Ehh?" Rena looked back at him, surprised he wanted her to finish. Rika listened intently. This was surely it: the moment everything began to go bad. If she had to, she would intervene.

"Oh....about that....well...." Rena glanced away, blushing a little. Rikas grip on her backpack straps grew tighter, anticipating her move. "I was wondering...." Come on, Rena. Say it. Say it so I can stop it.

"...if you could help me dig out the Kenta doll from the dam site."

....what? Did Rena suddenly lose her courage and instead ask him for something else? Or did Rika completely misinterperet and assume that she would ask him to the Watanagashi?

"The Kenta doll? You mean that guy with the white beard that stands in front of that fried chicken place?!" Keiichi asked with disbelief. "Y-Yeah! It's really cute! And, I've tried getting him out myself, but....he's buried under a lot of junk, so..."

"You don't have to explain your reasoning, Rena." He smiled. "You've been taking care of me ever since I moved here. Helping you with your doll is the least I can do." She blushed at hearing his words. Rika couldn't stand hearing this crap. But, she was able to prevent a chaotic world, and that was good enough for her. "I'll be going ahead. See you both at school~!" she giggled, running far ahead of them. "Bye, Rika-chan!" they called back.

"...Keiichi-kun...?" her meek voice broke through her lips which were shut so tightly. "Yeah, Rena?" She paused for a moment before responding.

"...I'm glad that we're friends..." a warm smile shyly appeared on her face, her blush complimenting her smile as she stared up at him nervously. Hearing that made him smile as well. "Yeah...." one hand raised and patted the top of her head, ruffling her hair a little and widening his smile even more so when her blush darkened.

"....friends."

* * *

**Author's Note**

Whew! I finally got this story completed! Thank you to all of you who favorited and reviewed and all that good stuff! The last chapter was really sad, but hopefully this one will brighten up things! And there'll be a sequel called Futarigoroshi-hen, or Couple-Killing chapter. Then there might be another, Usoyurushi-hen, or Lie-Forgiving chapter. Keep an eye out! ^-^

When I started this story, I didn't think it'd be as liked as it is. Since this is not only the first fanfiction I've started but also the first that I've COMPLETED, it makes me happy that I was able to get 15 chapters out of this. It also makes me happy how you guys compare it to the original, and saying that it's almost like it was part of the story. Accuracy is what I aim for, so hearing (err, reading) that made me pleased!

If any of you noticed, in chapter 1, the last line said "...'friends'.". But in this chapter, it just says "...friends.". What does that mean? It means that since he only sees Rena as a friend (due to Rika stopping their mistake), the chances of them becoming a romantic item have slimmed, so no reoccuring tragedy in this scenario! :D

DISCLAIMER (should've done this before....oops.)

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (c) Ryukishi07/07th Expansion, Alchemist, Studio Deen, Geneon/FuniMation

Kokorogoroshi-hen (c) Yuuaku Hikari

I do not own any of the characters. Just the plot and content. Thank you. :D


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